ASEAN Agrees To Establish ASEAN-Australia Tourism Ministers' Meeting

 JOHOR BAHRU, Jan 20 (Bernama) -- ASEAN tourism ministers have unanimously agreed to establish the ASEAN-Australia Tourism Ministers’ Meeting, a new initiative aimed at fostering deeper collaboration in the tourism sector.

Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (MOTAC) secretary-general Datuk Roslan Abdul Rahman said the initiative was thoroughly discussed during the ASEAN Ministerial Meetings and is currently in the pipeline. 

“We have presented the reasons why it is timely for ASEAN and Australia to have this tourism collaboration and Malaysia has pushed for this. All the ASEAN ministers have agreed that we should have further collaboration between ASEAN and Australia.

“So there is another partnership that we will have and we are very happy and proud to be pushing this matter to the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and it has been accepted,” he said.

Roslan said this in a press conference at the end of the ASEAN Tourism Ministers' Meeting and their meeting with dialogue partners here today.

 The meetings were held in conjunction with the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2025 (ATF 2025), which took place at a hotel here from Jan 15 until today.

The ATF 2025 aimed to promote regional tourism products, facilitate knowledge sharing, build valuable networking and enhance cooperation with global tourism leaders to boost tourist arrivals in ASEAN.

Meanwhile, commenting on the rationale behind selecting Australia as ASEAN's new dialogue partner, Roslan said the decision took into account the proximity of ASEAN member countries to Australia and the country's relatively strong currency.

"We already have Japan, China, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and India. We are not only looking east but also west, north, and now south as well. 

"Australians frequently visit ASEAN countries, and the region closest to Australia is Southeast Asia, ASEAN. However, we aim to further foster the spirit of cooperation and explore tourism products that we can share with the people of that country," he said.

He added that enhanced cooperation between member states and Australia in the tourism sector could address issues, including the difficulties faced by ASEAN tourists entering Australia.

"Most of the issues involving Malaysian tourists in Australia stem from their working there. This problem is not one-sided; it involves both parties. We also don’t want Malaysian tourists to be seen as problematic travellers.

"As Malaysians, we must be responsible tourists. Follow local rules and regulations. Malaysians are known for being polite and well-mannered, and they enjoy welcoming us. However, let’s not reach a point where Malaysian passports are viewed as a problem," he said.

-- BERNAMA