Vietnam joins in ASEAN Travel Forum, minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh has attended the 27 th ASEAN Tourism Forum 2008 that was held in Bangkok , Thailand , from Jan. 21-24.

During the ATF 2008, Minister Anh joined his Thai counterpart in presiding the ASEAN National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) and the meetings of ASEAN Tourism Ministers; ASEAN, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea Tourism Ministers; and ASEAN + India Tourism Ministers.

Discussions at the meetings focused on measures to deal with the impacts of crises on tourism, promote youth and sea tourism and tourism service quality, provide training for tourism staff and devise a mutual recognition agreement for tourism. 

Vietnam is to host the ATF 2009 "ASEAN Tourism: Striving for a New Height" in Hanoi from Jan. 5-12, 2009. 

At the forum, Vietnam also joined the ATF 2008 Travel Exchange (TRAVEX) with a press briefing introducing the results of Vietnam's tourism activities and its development policies. 

Ten hotels of Viet Nam were granted the ASEAN Green Hotel Award at the ATF 2008. 

In 2007, ASEAN welcomes more than 60 million of foreign holiday-makers, a year-on-year rise of 8.04 percent. ASEAN tourists made up 45 percent of last year's total. 

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups Brunei , Cambodia , Myanmar , Indonesia , Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. 

(Source: VNA)

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