ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2023, held from February 2 to 5, is expected to trigger the acceleration of the region’s tourism recovery post-lockdown.
Sandiaga Uno, Indonesia minister of tourism and creative economy (MoTCE) said in a media briefing: “(South-east Asia’s) recovery is the slowest compared to Europe and the US. Although (tourism) in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia are growing, the growth is not equivalent to that of the rest of the world.
“As the biggest event in South-east Asia, ATF can trigger the acceleration of the region’s recovery. Therefore, let’s make this event more than merely ceremonial but one that will forge collaborations. We are ready for competitions (among members) but there are many opportunities to collaborate.”
This is in line with ATF’s theme of ASEAN: A Journey to Wonderful Destinations which represents the hope of the tourism sector in the development of regional and international primary markets, as well as strengthen the position of South-east Asia as an accelerator of economic growth and creator of jobs, according to Sandiaga.
Apart from the main events of government meetings and Travex, ATF 2023 in Yogyakarta will also feature the Ministers’ Breakfast Meeting by US-ABC, Ministers’ Lunch by CNN, ASEAN Tourism Awards Ceremony, Global Modest Fashion Week, and a B2C exhibition featuring Indonesian creative economic products.
To date, ATF Travex has attracted 207 seller companies to occupy 159 booths, ready to conduct businesses with 136 buyers from 29 countries.
