MALAYSIA is gearing up to host this year’s ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), with an expected turnout of 1,600 delegates expected to gather at the Borneo Convention Center in Kuching, Sarawak.
Scheduled to run from January 16 to 23, this year’s ATF has adopted the theme ASEAN – Advancing Tourism Together, and will explore the sustainable development of tourism and how tourism programmes and plans can further support this initiative.
According to Malaysia’s minister for tourism and culture, Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz: “(ATF 2014) will be a timely platform to further discuss and act on implementing innovative and sustainable initiatives that will ensure the preservation of our natural environment and heritage of this region for future generations.”
This year’s ATF will again be comprised of the ASEAN NTOs meeting, tourism ministers meeting and TRAVEX.
TRAVEX, the buyer-seller travel exhibition, will also feature the ASEAN Tourism Conference taking place on January 21. Speakers will touch on four topics: airline open sky policy, ground transportation, cruise and sea transportation, and river-based tourism.
Some 150 ASEAN tourism officials, 500 ASEAN exhibitors, 500 international buyers, 100 international and local media as well as 100 trade visitors are anticipated at this year’s ATF.
