(VOVWORLD) - Tourism Ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed on Wednesday to reopen the region’s tourism industry for its revival despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
 Tourists in Bangkok, Thailand (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
The 25th ASEAN Tourism Ministers Meeting chaired by Cambodia's Tourism Minister Thong Khon took place both online and in person in the coastal city of Sihanoukville in Cambodia on Wednesday.
In a statement, the ministers emphasized that the ASEAN tourism industry is not only ready to reopen, but will also recover quickly with greater resilience. The statement also said that ASEAN will exercise all possibilities of coordination and cooperation so that the reopening of the tourism industry will take place gradually and stably.
The Ministers also agreed to adopt a standardized system of recognition of COVID-19 vaccines among ASEAN countries and welcomed the rapid implementation of vaccination programs in individual member countries, which is the important indicator to reopen tourism.
They also emphasized strengthening cooperation in the tourism sector among member countries to ensure the bloc's competitiveness.