Indonesia’s newspaper Jakarta Post has recently published an article describing Vietnam as a rising star in Southeast Asian tourism.

International tourists visit Hoi An ancient city in Vietnam's central province of Quang Nam 

It reported that Vietnam is hosting the 38th ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) from January 14-18 in Ha Long city of northern Quang Ninh province to showcase its impressive achievements in the industry.

Themed “ASEAN – The Power of One”, the five-day event has attracted more than 2,000 participants, including tourism ministers from ASEAN and East Asia, top leaders of national tourism agencies, international tourism organisations, high-end hotels and resorts, airlines, and close to 150 journalists and travel writers from Southeast Asia and outside the region.

A number of events were held as part of the forum, including the Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers on January 17-18 and the Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers with China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and India.

A meeting of leaders of ASEAN national tourism organisations was held on January 14-16. There are also meetings between ASEAN tourism stakeholders and their counterparts from India and Russia.

Another important event is the ASEAN Tourism Forum on Travel Exchange (Travex) held from January 16-18. According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the event features about 450 booths and is expected to draw 1,500 people, including buyers, sellers and journalists from ASEAN and other regions.

The ATF affords Vietnam a chance to improve its role and stature in regional tourism cooperation and introduce the country’s natural beauty and people to international friends, according to the article.

With its growing economy, including an impressive economic boom in the tourism sector, Vietnam is in the right position to host the prestigious regional travel forum.

The article said Vietnam is a stable and peaceful country, which has been experiencing high economic growth during the last 10 years. In 2018, the Vietnamese economy was estimated to grow by 7.08 percent in spite of global financial turmoil.

In tourism, Vietnam has achieved many milestones during the last few years. With its pristine beaches, natural sites and stunning landscapes, Vietnam’s tourism has been growing more than 25 percent annually during the last three years, thanks to infrastructure improvement, more direct flights to many foreign cities, and major reforms.

In 2017, Vietnam was ranked sixth by the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) in terms of global tourism growth.-VNA