On 20 January 2013, Secretary-General Ma Mingqiang of ASEAN-China Centre led a delegation to 2013 ASEAN Tourism Forum in Vientiane of Laos. Mr. Ma gave an introduction on the works in promoting ASEAN tourism resources and enhancing ASEAN-China tourism cooperation in 2012 and made a report on the main tourism projects of 2013. The Tourism Minister Thong Khon of Cambodia expressed the gratitude to ACC for its outstanding efforts in publicizing Cambodia in China’s media, which brought a 35 percent increase of Chinese tourist to Cambodia. The Tourism Ministers of ASEAN countries also expressed the appreciation on ACC’s contribution and hoped to enlarge the cooperation with it.

The representatives of ASEAN-Korea Centre and ASEAN-Japan Centre were also invited to attend the forum. ATF is organized by ASEAN Secretariat and held by ASEAN Member States in rotation. Next ATF will be held in Malaysia from January 16 to 23 in 2014.