KUALA LUMPUR — ASEAN tourism ministers have unanimously agreed to establish the ASEAN-Australia Tourism Ministers’ Meeting, a new initiative aimed at fostering deeper collaboration in the tourism sector.

Secretary-General of Malaysia’s Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (MOTAC) Datuk Roslan Abdul Rahman said the initiative was thoroughly discussed during the ASEAN Ministerial Meetings and is currently in the pipeline.

He went on to say that MOTAC has presented the reasons why it is timely for ASEAN and Australia to have this tourism collaboration and Malaysia has pushed for this.

All the ASEAN ministers have agreed that we should have further cooperation between ASEAN and Australia, he noted.

Roslan emphasised that although Australians frequently visit ASEAN countries, as the ASEAN Chair for 2025, Malaysia wants to further promote tourism collaboration between the two sides. He added that enhanced cooperation between member states and Australia in the tourism sector could address issues, including the difficulties faced by ASEAN tourists entering Australia.

The ASEAN Tourism Ministers' Meeting was held in conjunction with the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2025 (ATF 2025), which took place in Johor, Malaysia from January 15 to 20. The ATF 2025 aimed to promote regional tourism products, facilitate knowledge sharing, build valuable networking and enhance cooperation with global tourism leaders to boost tourist arrivals in ASEAN. — VNS