The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has proposed Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to consider and allow in principle Vietnam to host the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2019.

ATF is a cooperative regional effort to promote the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region as one tourism destination. This annual event involves all tourism industry sectors of the 10 member nations of ASEAN: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

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The hosting of ATF, is rotated among the member countries. ATF 2016 marks the 35th anniversary of this event since its inauguration in Malaysia in 1981.

Hosting the event is both a responsibility and a right of member countries, as the region is increasingly integrating with the formation of ASEAN Economic Community. Under the rotation, Vietnam will host the event in 2019.

The Philippines is the host of ATF 2016. With the theme One Community for Sustainability, the forum will launch the new ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan (ATSP) 2016 – 2020, which will work towards not only the development and growth of the region’s tourism, but also toward ensuring that this growth is grounded on responsible, sustainable, and inclusive tourism./.

( Compiled by VNF )