NAY PYI TAW, Myanmar –Myanmar’s President Thein Sein informed on Monday night (Jauary 26, 2015), at the opening ceremony of this year’s ASEAN Tourism Forum which is being held here, that the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) secretary general Taleb Rifai thought travel and tourism in the ASEAN region was a “phenomenon”.
Mr. Rifai told ASEAN Tourism Forum 2015 delegates: “The message today is to see travel and tourism from a different perspective. Not just as a good business opportunity or economic driver, but as a powerful development tool. The mission of ASEAN through tourism is one that is indeed promoting development and regional cooperation. It has been the success story of travel and tourism that has us all think about the importance of this development.”
However, Mr. Rifai also acknowledged that many global challenges faced us. He said:“The political sanctions, economic sanctions, medical, environmental challenges that we are all facing.
In Southeast Asia, the UNWTO is proud to see that ASEAN are starting to put the agenda of tourism in many areas. ASEAN is a very unique organization, a unique phenomenon, and I would like to congratulate all of you [ASEAN member states] for keeping it together.”
According to Mr. Rifai, the results of ASEAN tourism have been very impressive. However, the most important feature of the cooperation among the ASEAN countries is the overall message.
“ASEAN coming together to say a very simple statement: What’s good for my neighbor is good for me. It is a very ancient logic that we need to remind ourselves of…Taking the best of each [member state] and making the world better for all the 10 countries of ASEAN.” And by this, Mr. Rifai meant “developments [in the area of] connectivity, marketing, visa facilitation.”
Along with Myanmar President Thein Sein, dignitaries that attended the opening ceremony of this year’s ASEAN Tourism Forum included David Scowsill, president and CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council, and Htay Aung, Myanmar’s hotels and tourism minister.
