VietNamNet Bridge - The ASEAN Tourism Forum 2009 (ATF) with the theme “Towards to New Height” will be held in Hanoi from January 5-12 in Hanoi.

The event attracts the concern of tourism sectors and tourism corporations from different countries who want to look for chances of business co-operation and advertise their products. This is also an opportunity to popularise the land and people as well as history and culture of Vietnamese people to international friends and investors.

ATF is considered the most important event and the largest-scale activity in the ASEAN tourism co-operation framework. The 8-day forum is expected to draw the participation of around 1.500 delegates including tourism ministers, leaders of national tourism offices, travel agents, tour operators, press corps… in the region and worldwide. This is also a big event of political, economic and social significances; a collective initiative aiming to turn ASEAN into an united tourist destination and at sustainable tourism development, thus contributing to visitor exchanges, friendly cooperation, cultural exchanges, peace and prosperous development in the region.

Vietnam Tourism has been participated in ATF since 1998 by having attended all meetings and activities in ATF framework. During these ATF, apart from attending Travex Expo together with businesses, Vietnam Tourism had organised tourism promotion activities such as: press conferences, entertainment shows and banquets to advertise the land, the people, and the culture of Vietnam.

Through workgroup meetings and meetings of leaders of National Tourism Offices, Vietnam Tourism and member countries have formulated ASEAN Tourism Agreement (T-ASEAN), concentrating on such issues as: Facilitating travelling; Opening up ASEAN’s tourism service market; Improving tourism quality; Promoting tourism industry human resources; Ensuring tourism security; Promoting tourism towards a Common ASEAN by 2015. At Vietnam’s imitative, from 2001, Meetings of ASEAN+3 Tourism Ministers (ASEAN and China, Japan and South Korea) have been formed and gather annually within ATF Framework.

As with ATF, this is the first time Vietnam has hosted the ATF and ASEAN Tourism Ministers Conference.

There will be various activities within ATF 2009 framework such as Meetings of Task Forces on ASEAN Tourism Integration; Meetings of leaders of National Tourism Offices (NTOs); Meetings of ASEAN Tourism Ministers and Dialogue Countries; ASEAN Travel Expo (Travex)and ASEAN Tourism Conference.

Through meetings, participants will review the implementation of ASEAN Tourism Agreement, put forth orientations for co-operation and realise the regional integration towards setting up ASEAN tourism community in 2019.

The ASEAN Travel Expo (Travex) is a large-scale and important part of the ATF. Participants are representatives of NTOs, tour operators, hotels, airlines and tourism-related associations, etc. Travex is a professional event, where service providers, tour sellers and tour operators meet buyers of the destination markets to seek contract-signing opportunities targeted at the tourism market. In order to attract tourists from target markets, ASEAN will invite buyers who are tour operators from the region’s destination markets, including North America, Europe, Northeast Asia and Australia. According to convention, the host country has to cover all expenses of participating buyers.

The opening ceremony will be held at the National Convention Centre and the closing ceremony is scheduled to be organised at Deawoo Hotel. At the closing ceremony, the host country will hand over the ATF Flag to the country that will host the next ATF in the following year.

To ensure the success of the event, at present, eight sub-committees for ARF have been set up. Information on the event has now been disseminating by all means of media, hotels and airlines. Along with security forces, around 100 students will be mobilised as volunteers to give their services to activities of the event. The tourism sector now sets up a plan for room stay for delegates as well as free of charge sight seeing tours for guests.

This is the first time Vietnam is to organise such a big event so it is a good chance for the host country to promote its tourism potential and expand tourism co- operation with foreign countries. A successful organisation will help raise the image of Vietnam in the region and the world.

(Source: Nhan Dan)