Cambodia is to host the 40th ASEAN Tourism Forum in the developing tourist city that is Sihanoukville. The event will include meetings between government ministers of then 10 member bloc, plus those of China, Japan, South Korea, India and Russia.
What is the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF 2022)?
It was first introduced in 1981 in KL Malaysia and was last held in the not so tourist friendly Brunei in 2020. Alas it was cancelled in 2021, much like most of our tours due to to Coronavirus.
To read about which countries are open to travel click here.
The 2022 event marks the first one to be held in post (current) Covid-19 environment. It is being held in Cambodia because the country is largely vaccinated and elephant in the room time, is the only country actually open to tourism (we will deal with that part later).
What are the aims of ATF 2022?
According to their official website “The ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) is a cooperative regional effort to promote the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as one tourist destination. This annual event involves all the tourism industry sectors of the 10 member states of ASEAN: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam”
The tittle for the 2022 event is “ASEAN – A community of peace and shared future” and according to event organisers “articulates Cambodia’s commitment as a key stakeholder in the region’s tourism eco-system”.
So, how many of these countries can you actually visit? Sadly since Thailand closed their borders to tourism, exactly one Cambodia!
And yes, we have a tour to Cambodia which you can see here.
The only other nation “open to tourism” is East Timor, who although not part of the Bloc have at least removed Covid restrictions.
We are tentatively planning the following tour to Timor in May.
Will YPT be setting up a booth at AFT 2022?
Alas we will not, although we may take a trip down to Prince Times Hotel of Prince Holdings Group and check out tourist opportunities for YPT within the region.
After all another “theme”of the vent is the opening of ASEAN in 2022?
What are my travel options in ASEAN in 2022?
This is the bit where we get to do a bit of fact, as well as some good old fashioned hypothesising. Cambodia is open, Thailand were, but have recently closed again. Laos have stated a desire to open soon, while Singapore have various travel bubbles with various places.
And then you have China, Vietnam and of course dear old North Korea, from whom we really have no idea when they might open.
For now at least we simply have to wait and see just bad Omicron is and hope for the best. As always though as the world does slowly start to open, YPT will be there leading the way.
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