Future of ASEAN tourism not shaped by one nation — DOT exec

CEBU CITY — An official from the Department of Tourism said Monday that enriching the tourism industry in the ASEAN region is a collective approach, noting that it cannot merely be shaped by one nation. 

This as the Philippines' DOT led the 63rd ASEAN National Tourism Organizations (NTOs) meeting at the Nustar Hotel here.

Chaired by DOT Undersecretary Verna Buensuceso, the event brings together senior tourism officials from ASEAN member states as well as other international organizations to review ongoing initiatives being undertaken to ensure a more sustainable and competitive regional tourism sector.

''We are reminded that the future of tourism in our region will not be shaped by any one country alone,'' Buensuceso said in her remarks as she welcomed tourism officials in other member states.

''It will be shaped by how well we align our strategies, our standards, our innovations and most importantly, our resolve to ensure that tourism remains a force for good,'' she added. 

She said participants of the meeting are in a critical but exciting position to transform their visions into practice. 

''What we decide and coordinate in meetings like these translates into visitor journey, the competitiveness of our destinations, the resilience of our enterprises and the livelihood of our communities,'' Buensuceso said. 

Buensuceso expressed hope that the meeting, where they exchange best practices, would result in outcomes that are concrete and forward looking.

''Outcomes that support sustainability without sacrificing growth, that accelerate digital transformation while protecting trust and safety, and that keep communities at the heart of the tourism economy so that the benefit of travel are felt not only in arrivals but in myriads of opportunities,'' she said. 

Meanwhile, she also mentioned how Cebu holds a special place when it comes to ASEAN's tourism history. The DOT official recalled that it was in Cebu when the ministerial understanding on ASEAN cooperation in tourism was signed in 1998.

Buensuceso said the document was ''an early and defining declaration that Southeast Asia could move forward not as separate destinations, competing for attention, but as  a region cooperating toward shared growth.''

The 63rd ASEAN NTOs Meeting is part of a weeklong series of ASEAN tourism activities in Cebu, which also includes the 48th ASEAN Plus Three NTOs Meeting; 16th Meeting of ASEAN Plus Three NTOs; ASEAN-Australia Inaugural Dialogue for Tourism; 34th ASEAN–India Tourism Working Group Meeting; ASEAN Tourism Forum; ASEAN Tourism Conference; 29th Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers; 25th Meeting of ASEAN, China, Japan, and Republic of Korea Tourism Ministers (25th M-ATM+3); 13th Meeting of ASEAN – India Tourism Ministers (13th M-ATM Plus India); and the Fifth Meeting of ASEAN - Russian Federation Tourism Ministers, among others. 

The said events highlighted ASEAN’s collective commitment to developing a globally competitive tourism industry, which seeks to benefit local communities while advancing Southeast Asia’s vision as a sustainable and premier tourism destination. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News