ASEAN, China to Promote Cruise, Yacht Tourism

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states and China have agreed to promote seamless connectivity through cruise and yacht tourism to boost tourist arrivals between them.

In a joint statement on tourism cooperation released on the ASEAN website, ASEAN and China also agreed to facilitate two-way traffic between and beyond ASEAN and China, and further improve and liberalize air connectivity. They both agreed to support the development of quality tourism through the promotion of tourism industry standards and programs for sustainable tourism, Philippine News Agency reported. They both support the participation of business communities and other tourism segments in travel marts, exhibitions and tourism festivals.

One way to do this, according to ASEAN and China, is by encouraging the strengthening of cooperation linkages between the education and training institutions in areas such as tourism information exchange, and human resource development.

Recognizing the importance of tourism industry, ASEAN and China also vowed to establish a high-level cooperation mechanism between relevant tourism authorities to be convened on a regular basis. ASEAN and China will also cooperate in facilitating travel and tourist visits, and in sharing data and tourism statistics. They will also encourage greater flows of tourists between ASEAN and China through joint promotion campaigns. This statement was released during the 20th ASEAN-China Summit held at the Philippine International Convention Center on Monday.