(VOVworld) – ASEAN member countries agreed to boost cruise tourism at the just-concluded 36^th ASEAN Tourism Forum 2017 in Singapore. The Association will take a series of measures to welcome 4.5 million cruise passengers by 2035.  

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Singaporean Minister of Trade and Industry S. Iswaran said Southeast Asia has great potential for developing tourism industry, including cruise travels. Excerpts for landlocked Laos, the other 9 members of ASEAN have sea borders with modern seaports, enabling tourists to easily approach destinations via marine routes. For example, Muara port of Brunei, Sihanuk vill Autonomous port of Cambodia, ports in Indonesia’s Bali, Java, Sulaweisi, and Sumatra, Malaysia’s Selangor, Langkawi, and Sabah, Myanmar International Terminal Thilawa, the Philippines’ Subic, Singapore’s Cruise Center, Thailand’s Phuket, and   Vietnam’s Quang Ninh, Ho Chi Minh City, or Da Nang.

ASEAN countries are set to upgrade infrastructure, improve onshore facilities, and train the workforce for cruise tourism. A representative from Indonesia said his country will prioritize infrastructure development for 5 sea ports. The Philippines said it will implement a national tourism development strategy. Deputy General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Ha Van Sieu said that Vietnam has planned to expand deep-water seaports for the berthing of cruise ships that carry up to 3,000 passengers, and to create specific products.

ASEAN countries also agreed on a plan of action 2017 to jointly create new, quality tourism products and help each other in human resource development.

Last year, ASEAN countries welcomed 450,000 cruise passengers and the figure is expected to increase 10 folds by 2035. Recently, ASEAN has made efforts to diversify their tourism products, improve their competitiveness, and attract more guests.  Initiatives of cruise tourism promotion have been implemented. A joint advertisement publication and a website has been launched, and a working group on ASEAN cruise tourism is established.

ASEAN aims to receive 121 million visitors and earn 83 billion USD from tourism in 2017, when the Association marks its 50^th founding anniversary.