ASEAN ministers agree to re-open regional tourism

HANOI: Tourism ministers of ASEAN member nations on Wednesday agreed to reopen ASEAN tourism to revive this industry amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported according to a statement.

During their discussion at the 25th Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers chaired by Cambodian Tourism Minister Thong Khon, the participants stressed that the ASEAN tourism sector is not only ready for reopening but will also bounce back quickly with more resilience.

The statement said the ministers agreed to announce the reopening of ASEAN tourism, both intra-regional and international, noting that every possible coordination and cooperation will be implemented so that the reopening process will be gradual and steady.

They also reached a consensus on the application of a standardised COVID-19 vaccination recognition system among the regional countries, while welcoming the progressive roll-out of COVID-19 vaccination in each ASEAN member nation, which is a key indicator for the regional tourism's reopening.

The ministers underlined the need to further strengthen intra-bloc tourism cooperation to ensure that ASEAN remains competitive in this industry.

-- BERNAMA