75 Percent Of Asean Tourism Plan 2011-2015 Achieved - M'sia's Tourism & Culture Minister

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 (Bernama) -- About 75 percent of 86 measures outlined in the Asean Tourism Strategic Plan (ATSP) 2011-2015 have been completed. Tourism and Culture Minister Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said the plan was formulated to enhance competitiveness and Asean tourism cooperation in moving towards the establishment of an Asean community in 2015. The ATSP, he said, focused on a three-pronged strategy, namely developing experiental and innovative regional products, increasing the quality of human resources, services and facilities as well as enhancing and accelerating travel facilitation and Asean connectivity. With the ATSP 2011-2015 coming to an end and Asean Economic Community (AEC) 2015 just around the corner, the Asean national tourism organisations had started looking into the successor plan, he said. Mohamed Nazri said this in his keynote address on "AEC 2015-Where is Tourism Heading?" at the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Hub City Forum: Kuala Lumpur, here Wednesday. "During the ATSP post-2015 period, it is hoped that Asean will be a quality tourism destination offering a unique and diverse experience, and committed to responsible, sustainable and inclusive tourism development," he said. The minister said further strategies would need to be formulated to enhance competitiveness, strengthen human capital development and enhance strategic partnership among Asean states and the private sector. The strategies, he said, should also look at intensifying joint tourism product and package development, improving air, land and sea connectivity, addressing visa facilitation issues as well as crisis management and climate change. The one-day forum was attended by some 250 participants comprising local and international travel and trade members. -- BERNAMA