ASEAN tourism ministers have met to discuss strategies aimed at enhancing regional tourism, with a particular focus on simplifying cross-border travel to encourage tourism growth across member countries.
The 28th ASEAN tourism ministers' meeting, held in Johor Bahru on 19 January, saw Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing underscore tourism's significant role in the region's economic development.
“We must simplify policies that will increase the number of tourists coming in. Of course, we cannot be lax on the security front but I believe this issue should be discussed further within our respective countries,” Tiong stated.
Tourist scams were also a major topic of discussion, with Tiong urging ASEAN members to address this pressing issue. “We must capture (solve) this problem which tourists are facing now,” he added.
The meeting was part of the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2025, which took place from 15 to 20 January. The forum aims to promote regional tourism products, encourage knowledge exchange, foster networking, and improve collaboration with global tourism industry leaders to drive tourist arrivals to ASEAN.