ASEAN Association of South East Asian Nations : Joint Media Statement of The Twentieth Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers

1. The Twentieth Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers (20th M-ATM) was held on 19 January 2017 in Singapore, in conjunction with the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2017 (ATF). H.E. Mr. S. Iswaran, Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) of Singapore, chaired the Meeting and H.E. Ms. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, Minister for Tourism and Sports of Thailand, was the Vice-Chairperson. The 20th M-ATM was preceded by the Forty-Fifth Meeting of ASEAN National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) and meetings with dialogue partners.

2. Based on preliminary submissions made by Member States, for 2016, ASEAN is expected to receive 116 million international visitors, posting a growth of 6.5 per cent from 2015. The arrivals were dominated by intra-ASEAN travel, accounting for 43 per cent of total international arrivals in 2015, followed by Asia (excluding ASEAN) at 36 per cent. Enhanced connectivity within the region contributed to sustained growth of tourists particularly in facilitating intra-ASEAN mobility.

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