The Deputy Governor for Marketing Communications of the Thailand Tourism Authority (TAT), Mrs. Juthaporn Rerngronasa, updated the problems in her country during a press conference at the ATF in Hanoi, Vietnam:

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. marks a milestone in its aggressive growth in Greater China announcing the signing of the Sheraton Beijing Dongcheng Hotel, their 100th hotel in the area. As the first international hotel chain to enter China when the historic Great Wall Beijing Sheraton Hotel was established in 1985, Starwood today is the largest international upscale hotel company in China

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) announced at the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) held in Hanoi, Vietnam, that Singapore’s tourism sector had generated an estimated $14.8 billion in tourism receipts (TR) in 2008. This represents a growth of 5% over 2007 and sets a new record for Singapore, despite the impact of the global economic slowdown in the second half of the year.

During the ATF meeting, the ministers commended the success of the ASEAN Plus Three Youth Festival held in Singapore in July 2008 with the aim to encourage active youth participation in regional youth affairs and help young people appreciate the diverse cultures in the region.

During the ATF ASEAN Tourism Forum, held in Hanoi, Vietnam, the tourism ministers of the ASEAN countries were pleased to note the progress of joint ASEAN tourism promotion, especially regarding the activities of the ASEAN Tourism Promotional Chapter (APCT) in Sydney, Seoul and Shanghai in 2008, producing promotional material and participating in international tourism events in their respective source markets.

The twelfth meeting of ASEAN tourism ministers took place in conjunction with the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2009 (ATF09) in Hanoi, Vietnam. The meeting was chaired by H.E. Mr. Tran Chien Thang (Vietnam Vice Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports) and co-chaired by H.E. Pehin Dato Yahya, Minister of Industry and Primary Resources, Brunei Darussalam.