On 23 October 2019, ASEAN Tourism Investment Seminar, organized by ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC), was held in Osaka, Japan. Mr. YB Datuk Mohamaddin bin Ketapi, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture of Malaysia, Mr. Masataka Fujita, Secretary-General of AJC, Mr. Lee Hyuk, Secretary-General of ASEAN-Korea Centre(AKC) and nearly 200 delegates from the ASEAN National Tourism Organizations (NTOs) and local business investment sector were present. On behalf of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), Ms. Kong Roatlomang, Director of Education, Culture and Tourism Division (ECTD) attended the event.
Secretary-General Masataka Fujita delivered opening remarks. He appreciated the participation and support of all parties including the tourism authorities of ASEAN Member States, Japanese investment entities as well as ACC and AKC. As a driving force for the world economic and social development, tourism is becoming increasingly important for the regional countries including Japan and the ASEAN Member States. He stated that AJC has been making continuous contributions to the people-to-people exchanges and economic cooperation between ASEAN and Japan since its establishment in 1981. Japan is a major source of inbound tourists and tourism investment for ASEAN countries. This Seminar could be a valuable platform for further promoting tourism investment and economic cooperation between the two sides. He wished all the participants fruitful results from the event.
Minister Datuk Mohamaddin bin Ketapi spoke highly of this Seminar in his welcoming remarks. He mentioned that Asia has a large population, and the size of middle class is growing quickly. According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), international tourist arrivals in 2018 reached 1.4 billion, increasing by nearly 6% year-on-year; exports generated by international tourism reached USD 1.7 trillion in 2018, increasing by 4% year-on-year in real terms. This reflects strong market demand for international travel products in a generally robust economic environment. Japan has made great contributions to the world tourism sector. ASEAN countries are trying to improve their tourism investment environments to attract more international tourists, and Malaysia may be taken as an example. He believed this Seminar organized by AJC could help explore tourism investment opportunities for ASEAN countries.
Representatives of Kansai Economic Federation and Super Hotel Co., Ltd. of Japan shared their investment experience and business practice in Japan, Myanmar and Viet Nam. Delegates of ASEAN NTOs explained the tourism investment opportunities and relevant policies in their respective countries. Business match-making meetings were also held following the 3-hour Seminar. During these activities, ACC delegates exchanged views with their counterparts on tourism investment cooperation between ASEAN and China.
On the next day, the delegates of AJC and ACC were invited to attend the opening ceremony of Tourism Expo Japan 2019 and visited the exhibition halls. As one of the global-scale platforms for business-to-business and business-to-consumer travel promotion, this Expo was jointly organized by Japan Travel and Tourism Association (JTTA), Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) and Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).
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