Promoting ASEAN+3 tourism cooperation towards sustainable development and regional connectivity

On the morning of August 6, in Boracay (Philippines), Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration Nguyen Thi Hoa Mai attended the 47th ASEAN+3 National Tourism Organizations (China, Japan and Korea) Conference. The conference was co-chaired by the Philippines and Japan.

Conference overview

The conference is an opportunity for the parties to evaluate the progress of ASEAN+3 tourism cooperation in recent times, and discuss development orientations and priority activities in the next phase.

Speaking at the conference, Ms. Verna C. Buensuceso, Undersecretary of the Philippine Department of Tourism, acknowledged the close and proactive cooperation between ASEAN and the three partner countries (China, Japan, and South Korea), and welcomed the positive progress in implementing the ASEAN+3 Tourism Cooperation Plan for the period 2023-2027. At the same time, Ms. Verna C. Buensuceso affirmed the Philippines' commitment to continue promoting ASEAN+3 tourism cooperation, towards realizing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and regional strategic plans. She said that the steady flow of tourists between ASEAN and the three partners and new opportunities are opening up prospects for inclusive and sustainable tourism development. In addition, promoting air connectivity and tourism facilitation policies are contributing to creating new growth drivers and spreading benefits to other economic sectors. The Philippines hopes that the discussions at the Conference will bring practical results, continuing to promote ASEAN+3 tourism cooperation in the coming time.

Co-chairing the conference, Japan said that it had organized the Self-Reliant Tourism Conference in Sendai City in November 2024 and would continue to implement cooperation activities with ASEAN after the conference. Japan expressed its desire to further promote cultural exchanges, human resource exchanges and tourism cooperation, in order to strengthen connections between people of the countries and at the same time strengthen the friendly relationship between Japan and ASEAN. At the same time, it is expected that the discussions at this conference will put forward many practical initiatives, contributing to promoting tourism cooperation between ASEAN and the three partner countries - China, Japan and Korea in the coming time.

Deputy Director of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Thi Hoa Mai speaks at the conference

Within the framework of the working program, the Conference heard representatives of ASEAN Centers in China, Japan and South Korea report on the progress of implementing activities to support ASEAN tourism and ASEAN+3 tourism cooperation in 2025; updated the situation of bilateral cooperation between ASEAN+1 with China, Japan and South Korea; discussed the orientation for developing the ASEAN+3 Tourism Cooperation Plan for the period 2026-2030, focusing on priority areas such as enhancing connectivity, developing sustainable tourism, digital transformation, training human resources and promoting.

At the conference, the Chinese delegation leader affirmed that the three partner countries are important source markets and destinations for each other, so strengthening regional tourism cooperation continues to be a priority task to promote comprehensive socio-economic development. China emphasized that it will continue to coordinate with ASEAN countries in promoting people-to-people exchanges, restoring international tourism, resuming cultural exchanges, and training people's skills, thereby consolidating the foundation of long-term cooperation. China will also continue to organize major fairs such as the China-ASEAN Travel Expo, the China International Travel Fair, and establish the ASEAN-China Center for Digital Transformation in Tourism and Culture to promote technology application, human resource training, and enhance smart tourism experiences.

A representative of the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) said that ASEAN continues to be a key market with the number of visitors from this region to Korea increasing from 1 million in 2022 to 2.5 million in 2024, while the number of Korean visitors to ASEAN also recorded strong growth in 2025. In addition, Korea also introduced the first ASEAN-Korea Tourism Forum held in Da Nang in July 2025, and wishes to maintain this event annually for the next 3 years with active support from ASEAN countries. Korea affirmed its commitment to continue promoting tourism cooperation with ASEAN through strategic initiatives, human resource training programs, experience sharing and expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation, towards a future of sustainable tourism development and common prosperity in the region.

Delegates from countries attending the ASEAN+3 National Tourism Organizations Conference take a souvenir photo

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Thi Hoa Mai highly appreciated the important role of China, Japan and South Korea in supporting the development of ASEAN tourism, especially in the process of recovery and sustainable growth after the pandemic. In the first 6 months of 2025, visitors from these three markets continued to be among the leading groups in terms of international visitors to Vietnam.

On this occasion, the Deputy Director thanked the countries for their effective cooperation and hoped to continue to receive support in the coming time. In the last months of the year, Vietnam plans to organize many tourism promotion and cultural exchange activities in China, Japan and Korea, with the participation of tourism leaders. To increase communication effectiveness and attract people's attention, Vietnam proposed that countries support in providing a list of travel businesses, coordinate to invite local reporters and KOLs to participate in promotional programs. Vietnam affirmed its commitment to continue to cooperate closely with ASEAN+3 countries, to strengthen connectivity, promote tourist exchanges and effectively implement cooperation programs that bring practical benefits to the region.

The conference agreed to continue promoting the role of the ASEAN+3 cooperation mechanism in the tourism sector, aiming to enhance the industry's adaptability and resilience, while contributing to promoting peace, prosperity and regional connectivity.

Vietnam National Tourism Administration

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/thuc-day-hop-tac-du-lich-asean3-huong-toi-phat-trien-ben-vung-va-ket-noi-khu-vuc-20250806154555665.htm