Currently, ASEAN countries and Russia are implementing the ASEAN-Russia Tourism Work Plan 2022-2024, focusing on activities on: (1) Cooperation in tourism promotion, (2) Promote programmes to improve ASEAN-Russia tourism capacity, (3) Ensuring tourism security and safety, (4) Facilitate travel between ASEAN and Russia, (5) Support sustainable and inclusive tourism development in ASEAN and Russia.
VNAT’s Chairman Nguyen Trung Khanh speaking at the Meeting (Photo: TITC)
The Meeting discussed the new project of the Explore initiatives to promote thematic ASEAN-Russia linkages, including ´new´ and less explored destinations in the coming time. VNAT’s Chairman Nguyen Trung Khanh said, Russia is an important partner and source market of ASEAN tourism in general and Vietnam tourism in particular, tourists often spend long stays. Upgrading the meeting between ASEAN and Russia from the Tourism Consultation Session to the Tourism Ministers' Meeting from 2022 is a solid basis to further promote cooperation activities in the coming time.
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In 2023, Vietnam welcomed about 126 thousand Russian visitor arrivals. Vietnam has issued a new visa policy since August 2023, which grants Russian tourists a visa-exemption duration of up to 45 days and extends to 90 days for those opting for e-visa application. This is a favourable condition to promote the recovery of tourists from Russia.
ASEAN strengthens cooperation in cultural and tourism exchanges, increasing visitor exchange with the Russian Federation (Photo: TITC)
“Currently, tourism development cooperation activities between ASEAN and Russia are still quite monotonous and not carried out regularly. Therefore, I suggest that member countries consider measures to diversify tourism cooperation activities between the two sides, not only stopping at Russian language training courses but expanding to organise cultural-tourism festivals, conferences, seminars, cultural exchange programmes…”, emphasised VNAT’s Chairman Nguyen Trung Khanh.
VNAT’s Chairman Nguyen Trung Khanh also proposed Russia to increase its presence at major tourism events and tourism promotion programs in ASEAN and organised by member countries. At the same time, Russia also considers supporting ASEAN countries to carry out a number of online promotional campaigns, supporting the creation of Russian content as well as promoting ASEAN tourism video clips on official tourism media channels of Russia tourism.
Russian Federation tourism delegation at the Meeting (Photo: TITC)
Despite the challenges brought about by the pandemic, the Meeting was pleased to note that Southeast Asia is among the preferred destinations by Russian tourists as reflected by the growing visitor arrivals into ASEAN Member States. According to the Russian statistics, during the first nine months of 2023 the total number of Russian visitors to ASEAN Member States amounted to 664,000 while the Russian Federation received a total of around 23,000 visitors from the ASEAN Member States.
Overview of the Meeting (Photo: TITC)
With the objective to increase the number of tourist arrivals to accelerate tourism recovery, the Meeting supported the adoption of the project proposal on “Expanding business contacts between Russia and ASEAN countries’ tourism enterprisers through Russian language training and experience exchange” with the aim to improve professional skills of the tourism sector and enhance business cooperation between Russian and ASEAN tourism enterprises. The Project will consist of language courses, experience exchanges, as well as familiarisation tours involving major Russian tour operators.
(From: Tourism Information Technology Center)
