Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Doan Van Viet attended the meeting in Bangkok, Thailand. (Photo: VNA)

Thailand's Minister of Tourism and Sports, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn highlighted the huge impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the global tourism industry.

Tourism's share of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has plummeted to only 5.3% in 2020 and 6.1% in 2021.

Phiphat said that as the host of APEC 2022, Thailand hopes this meeting will foster recommendation for tourism policy, which is "Regenerative Tourism" to pave the way for the future of tourism in the Asia-Pacific region.

It helps boost a shared enthusiasm among all APEC member economies to pursue a strong, balanced, sustainable and inclusive growth as outlined in the APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040.

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Doan Van Viet called on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) to enhance exchange and support to promote international tourism.

He said APEC member states should share new regulations on immigration and tourist management, increase incentives for airlines and tourism service providers to have flexible policies for travelers.

APEC member economies should provide mutual assistance in popularizing the policy of opening up to international tourism and encouragement to travel to economies that have already opened their borders to tourism, he suggested.

According to Viet, Vietnam has fully opened its doors to foreign arrivals since March 15, and the Vietnamese Government has introduced a number of policies to get tourism services up and running.

At the 11th APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo: VNA

He said that international travelers can enter and exit Vietnam by air, sea, land, and they are not required to undergo Covid-19 testing. Visa policies such as visa exemption, e-visa, and visa on arrival have been restored.

Airlines are resuming international routes along with opening new routes to the US and India.

Currently, the local tourism industry is carrying out a campaign “Live fully in Vietnam,” aiming to welcome five million international visitors this year.

Vietnam also defines digital transformation as an important tool for developing the digital economy and smart tourism, especially in the new normal.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Doan Van Viet. Photo: NDO

During the meeting, the delegates also shared key strategies to promote the recovery of the tourism industry after the Covid-19 pandemic, how APEC economies can work together to support the recovery process.

They also talked about the role of tourism in enhancing the well-being and lives of the people of APEC economies, renewable tourism and the future of APEC tourism.

Delegates were interested in the theme of “Regenerative Tourism” that the host country launched to promote sustainable post-pandemic recovery, including its potential impacts on the environment, culture and lifestyles of the local.

One of the priorities of the strategy is to encourage local people to participate in and benefit from inclusive and tourism, to raise awareness about cultural and environmental conservation.

This is in line with the Bio-Circular-Green Economic Model (BCG) that the Thai Government is applying to revive the country's tourism industry with the goal of safe, inclusive and sustainable tourism.

The meeting is expected to adopt the APEC Policy Recommendations on 'Regenerative Tourism' and a TMM11 statement on the same day.

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