The ASEAN Tourism Forum 2005 blitz kicks off

The ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) composed of Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Myanmar, Lao PDR, Indonesia, Cambodia and Brunei Darussalam will be showcased as a single destination during the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) slated on Jan. 21-29, 2005 in Langkawi, Malaysia.

On hand to support the key travel trade officials and executives of the ten Asian countries during the nine-day event are more than 1,500 delegates from all over. These represent major tour wholesalers, outbound tour operators, incentive organizers, airlines, car rental services, and special interest tour operators. Likely, 150 international and local journalists will give the prestigious forum the extensive media mileage it needed.

A strong Malaysian contingent came over recently for the last leg of their ASEAN blitz to promote ATF, which will culminate in Medan first week of September this year. Among the neighboring cities that the group had already visited before touching down Manila were Singapore, Jakarta, Bangkok, Vientiane, Phnom Penh, Hanoi, Yangon and Bandar Seri Begawan.

At the conference held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Makati City, Abdul Rahman Hj. Shaari of Tourism Malaysia led the panel of speakers from the host country that included Argus Salim Bin Abdul Razak, president of Association of Southeast ASEAN Nations Tourism Association (ASEANTA); Goh Meng Keng, general manager of Malaysia Airlines (MAS); and Sharahudin Haji Itama Aruldas Arulandu of Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA).

Outgoing Tourism Secretary Roberto M. Pagdanganan, who was equally impressed by the turn out of guests during the event despite the heavy downpour, welcomed the group and cited the ever-increasing importance of tourism as one of the world’s major money-making and job-generating industries.

Pagdanganan lauded the ten-member ASEAN nations’ unity to take part in the intra- and inter-regional promotion of ASEAN as a destination. As one of the world’s fastest growing markets, the ASEAN nations will surely benefit from the spur of travel brought about by the aggressive sales pitch for the ATF 2005 mounted by the Malaysian Tourism Council, he said.

Not only the Philippines, Pagdanganan said, stands to exploit the ATF 2005’s success, but all countries within the region as well since each country is working hard to collectively endorse the single-packaged ASEAN destination.

ATF 2005 will underscore a series of brainstorming sessions between the respective Asian governments and travel trade associations such as the meeting of the ASEAN Tourism Ministers and ASEAN national tourist organizations to set a new system and policies for the greater progress of ASEAN tourism.

Themed with "Shifting Paradigm – Prospering the Region," ATF 2005 will deal with the rapidly changing tourism scene, the modern borderless world, which presents both opportunities and challenges to the region in the coming years.

According to the ATF proponents, for the regional tourism industry to capitalize on these opportunities and challenges, the mindset of the industry players must be attuned to the realities of globalization. It is necessary to move on from current business paradigms and adopt cutting edge ideas and out-of-the-box thinking.

The vision is, they said, that such a shift in thinking will benefit ASEAN tourism businesses and the people they serve along with the region’s economic well-being as a whole.

An audio-visual presentation about Malaysia, particularly Langkawi, charmed the audience, giving a glimpse of what the host country offers in terms of business and leisure aspects. In ATF’s 23 years as a major tourism event, the forthcoming one is being held in Malaysia for the fifth time and it will be the second time for Langkawi to host the event.

Malaysia hosted ATF in 1981 in Genting Highlands, in 1987 in Kuala Lumpur, in 1992 in Penang and Langkawi, and in 1997 in Kuala Lumpur.

Several package tours and selected pre- and post-conference trips have been arranged to show-off Malaysia’s natural, cultural and historical treasures. The organizers wanted to make sure that delegates and participants to the dynamic event will have a most pleasurable stay.

The ATF 2005 highlights the ASEAN Travel Exchange (TRAVEX), which registered more than 400 international buyers set to meet and establish networking prospects with over 400 sellers from participating Asian nations.

While providing the venue for a one-stop-shop for ASEAN destinations, the ATF 2005 is primarily expected to tackle crucial issues and draw up strategies to buffer the regional tourism industry from future crises and at the same time toughen its fitness to be able to bounce back and stay alive.

The ATF 2005 organizers are the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia, Malaysia Airlines, ASEANTA, MATTA, Langkawi Development Authority (LADA), and Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH).

The next ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) will be held in Myanmar.