ASEAN tourism ministers met this morning to discuss strategies to promote regional tourism, focusing on simplifying cross-border travel processes to facilitate the movement of people between member countries.
Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, stated that tourism is a crucial pillar for economic growth in the region, hence improving cross-border cooperation is essential to create a competitive and convenient tourism environment.
He said after chairing the 28th ASEAN Tourism Ministers Meeting: "As I have mentioned before, we must simplify policies to increase the number of inbound tourists.
Of course, we cannot compromise on security, but I believe this issue should be further discussed within our respective countries."
Regarding the issue of tourist scams, Tiong King Sing urged ASEAN member countries to take this issue seriously and find a friendly solution.
He mentioned that while this issue was not discussed during the meeting, he believes it is a bigger problem faced by tourists in ASEAN.
Today's meeting is one of the key events of the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2025, which runs from the 15th of this month until tomorrow.