The 17th meeting Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting was held on January 19, 2014 in conjunction with the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2014 (ATF 2014).
On Monday, the statement made by Dato’ Seri Mohammed Nazri Abdul Aziz, Minister of Tourism and Culture, Malaysia at the ASEAN Tourism Forum in Kuching, Malaysia.
According to the statement, ASEAN continues to remain as an attractive destination for both regional and international tourists; recording an increase of 14.51% and 9.9% arrivals respectively over 2012. In 2013, 90.2 million tourists visited ASEAN, reflecting a 12% increase as compared to 2012.
The Ministers commended the progress made in facilitating the free flow of services and skilled labour within ASEAN through the implementation of the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) on tourism professionals. The completion of 144 toolboxes for hotel divisions, and the ASEAN Tourism Qualifications Equivalent Matrix will serve as key references for the tourism industry and training institutions in delivering the programme under the Mutual Recognition Arrangement on tourism professionals.
