Joint Media Statement: The 29th Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers (M-ATM)

Cebu, Philippines, January 31, 2026 / TRAVELINDEX / The 29th Meeting of the ASEAN Tourism Ministers (M-ATM) was convened on 29 January 2026, in Cebu, the Philippines, under the Chairmanship of H.E. Christina Garcia Frasco, Secretary of Tourism of the Philippines. The Meeting was preceded by the 63rd Meeting of the ASEAN National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) and related senior official meetings with Dialogue Partners.

The Meeting noted the substantive progress achieved under the ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan (ATSP) 2016–2025, which has strengthened ASEAN’s position as a quality and sustainable tourism destination. Key achievements include enhanced implementation of ASEAN Tourism Standards and awards, continued rollout of the Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Tourism Professionals (MRA-TP), and strengthened regional tourism marketing and joint promotion to position ASEAN as a single, high-quality and sustainable destination. With the conclusion of ATSP 2016–2025, the Meeting recognised that this milestone provides a solid foundation for advancing cooperation into the next phase of regional tourism development.

The Meeting was pleased to note the continued positive recovery of ASEAN’s tourism sector. Preliminary figures indicate that ASEAN recorded approximately 144 million international visitor arrivals in 2025, reflecting a sustained upward trend supported by measures to enhance connectivity, diversify tourism offerings, and strengthen marketing and promotional efforts.

The Meeting highlighted the importance of further promoting sustainable, inclusive, resilient, and quality tourism, in line with the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Quality Tourism adopted in 2025. The Meeting underscored the importance of implementing the ASEAN Tourism Sectoral Plan 2026–2030 (ATSP 2026–2030) and the ASEAN Tourism Marketing Strategy 2026–2030 (ATMS 2026–2030) to guide collective actions, strengthen branding and narrative-building, and enhance ASEAN’s regional visibility in the years ahead.

The Meeting encouraged continued efforts to operationalise the ATMS 2026–2030, with a strong focus on promoting Southeast Asia as a single, seamless, and high-quality tourism destination through data-driven, audience-centred and digitally enabled regional marketing initiatives. The Meeting underscored the importance of deepening collaboration with the private sector, global online platforms, and subregional mechanisms to strengthen brand visibility and amplify ASEAN’s regional identity through co-branded and co-funded campaigns. The Meeting also highlighted the growing potential of cruise tourism as an important market segment, and encouraged continued cooperation to enhance port connectivity, streamline travel facilitation, improve service and safety standards, strengthen sustainability practices in cruise destinations, and promote multi-destination cruise itineraries across ASEAN seas and coastal areas.

Towards More Robust ASEAN Tourism

The Meeting warmly welcomed the outcomes of the ASEAN Tourism Ministers’ Retreat held in September 2025 in Melaka, Malaysia, which served as a valuable platform for Ministers to engage in strategic and forward-looking exchanges on advancing a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient tourism sector, while strengthening ASEAN’s global competitiveness. The Retreat facilitated constructive discussions on emerging trends, shared challenges and opportunities, and good practices, as well as policy directions to enhance regional cooperation and attract international visitors to the region. Recognising its continued relevance, the Meeting agreed to consider institutionalising the ASEAN Tourism Ministers’ Retreat as an appropriate platform to address sectoral challenges and promote coordinated and timely solutions.

The Meeting commended ongoing cooperation in promoting quality tourism, including initiatives to strengthen tourism standards, hygiene and safety measures, and capacity-building for local communities, women, and youth. The Meeting reaffirmed support for enhanced investments in tourism infrastructure, particularly in secondary and tertiary destinations, to promote more balanced and inclusive tourism development across the region. To this end, the Meeting welcomed the initiative by the Philippines to develop an ASEAN Sustainable and Resilient Tourism Outlook as a Priority Economic Deliverable in 2026 under its ASEAN Chairmanship.

The Meeting noted that during the ASEAN Tourism Standards Awards Ceremony held on 30 January 2026, 46 establishments in the region were honoured at the 10th ASEAN Green Hotel Award; 32 entities were honoured at the 5th ASEAN Clean Tourist City Award; 41 establishments were honoured at the 5th ASEAN MICE Venue Award (Category: Meeting Room); 36 establishments were honoured at the 3rd ASEAN MICE Venue Award (Category: Exhibition Venue); 39 establishments were honoured at the 2nd ASEAN MICE Venue Award (Category: Event Venue); 8 establishments were honoured at the 5th ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Award (Eco-friendly Tourist Attraction theme, Rural Sustainable Product Category); and 9 establishments were honoured at the 5th ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Award (Eco-friendly Tourist Attraction theme, Urban Sustainable Product Category). The Meeting encouraged ASEAN Member States to further promote ASEAN Tourism Standards within their respective countries to enhance the region’s competitiveness.

The Meeting recognised the continued development of new and innovative tourism products, including nature-based, cultural, gastronomy, wellness, adventure, and creative tourism experiences. The Meeting highlighted the importance of strengthening sustainable destination management practices, in line with the ASEAN Framework on Sustainable Tourism Development and the ASEAN Action Roadmap for Sustainable Tourism Development. The Meeting also recognised the value of enhanced South–South cooperation, particularly through ongoing collaboration with the Pacific Alliance, including the ASEAN–Pacific Alliance joint e-learning platform on sustainable tourism, which supports knowledge exchange and capacity-building efforts across both regions.

The Meeting commended the outcomes of the sub-regional cooperation which the Second Meeting of Cambodia-Lao PDR-Viet Nam National Tourism Organisations (CLV NTOs) for Promoting “Three Countries, One Destination” agreed to hold the Cambodia-Lao PDR-Viet Nam Tourism Ministers’ meeting in 2026. The Meeting further took note on the promotional events including Cambodia-Lao PDRMyanmar- Viet Nam Foods Festival and Seminar on “On-land Tourism and Cross-Border Travel Facilitation” held in December 2025 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and encourage continual organisation of these events to promote inter and intraregional tourists’ flow, diversify tourism products and unify ASEAN as a single tourist destination.

The Meeting commended ongoing collaboration between the tourism and transport sectors, including joint efforts under the Ad-Hoc Task Force on Tourism and Transport to address connectivity gaps, improve access to emerging destinations, and strengthen joint promotional activities. The Meeting encouraged continued collaboration with relevant ASEAN Sectoral Bodies, Dialogue Partners, and industry stakeholders to advance integrated connectivity and promote multi-modal travel solutions.

The Meeting acknowledged continued progress in strengthening the implementation of the ASEAN MRA-TP and related competency standards, which will contribute to a more skilled and future-ready tourism workforce. The Meeting encouraged further capability development efforts, including digital skills training and support for micro, small and medium tourism enterprises (MSMEs). The Meeting was pleased to note that the Regional Secretariat to Implement the MRATP is targeted to be operationalised in 2026.

Engagement with Partners

The Meeting expressed appreciation for the continued support provided by ASEAN’s Partners and international organisations in advancing the region’s tourism cooperation agenda. The Meeting encouraged deeper and more strategic partnerships, particularly in supporting the effective implementation of the ATSP 2026–2030 and the ATMS 2026–2030. This includes cooperation in technical assistance, capacity-building, data and digital innovation, sustainable tourism development, enhanced connectivity, crisis preparedness and response, and tourism investment. The Meeting underscored the importance of leveraging Partners’ expertise, resources, and networks to complement ASEAN’s efforts in strengthening quality tourism, promoting Southeast Asia as a single destination, and achieving more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable tourism growth.

The Meeting expressed appreciation to the Government of the Philippines for its warm hospitality and excellent arrangements in hosting the 29th M-ATM and related meetings.

The Meeting agreed that the 30th Meeting of the ASEAN Tourism Ministers will be held in Singapore, in January 2027.