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On 20 June 2019, the 3rd Annual Assembly of China-ASEAN Tourism Education Alliance (CATEA) & International Forum on China-ASEAN Tourism Education 2019 were held at Trisakti School of Tourism, Jakarta, Indonesia. H.E. Ms. Ni Wayan Giri Adnyani, Deputy Minister of Industry and International Relations, Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia, H.E. Mr. Huang Xilian, Chinese Ambassador to ASEAN, H.E. Mr. Djauhari Oratmangun, Indonesian Ambassador to China, Ms. Fetty Asmaniati, President of Trisakti School of Tourism of Indonesia, Ms. Lin Na, Party Secretary of Guilin Tourism University of China and over 120 experts and scholars from tourism education universities of ASEAN and China participated in the events. On behalf of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), Ms. Kong Roatlomang, Director of Education, Culture and Tourism Division (ECTD) of ACC attended the events and delivered remarks.

At the inauguration ceremony, Deputy Minister Ni Wayan Giri Adnyani delivered a keynote speech commending people-to-people exchanges and tourism education cooperation between ASEAN and China. She briefed on the ongoing tourism policies, measures and marketing initiatives of Indonesia, and hoped that CATEA would continue to help improve the quality of tourism education in both ASEAN and China so as to contribute to sustainable growth of tourism sector.

Ambassador Huang Xilian stated that tourism is now one of the key highlight areas for ASEAN-China cooperation, which enjoys the broadest consensus, most solid foundation and greatest potentials. He also put forward suggestions upon ASEAN-China tourism relationship, such as high-level institutionalization and professionalization, people-oriented measures, more efforts to address safety concerns and facilitate travels between ASEAN and China.

As the Secretariat of China-ASEAN Tourism Education Alliance (CATEA), Guilin Tourism University hosted the 2nd Annual Assembly of CATEA. Party Secretary Lin Na introduced the fruitful results of tourism education exchanges and cooperation between ASEAN and China since CATEA was launched in 2017. She expressed strong confidence that CATEA would play a better role in promoting quality tourism education in ASEAN countries and China.

Director Kong Roatlomang congratulated on the well-run events of CATEA and thanked all the academic partners of ACC. She briefed on the latest and key development of tourism education in ASEAN and China. With a robust growth in the number of tourists in the region, it is significant for ASEAN and China to strengthen collaboration in promoting sustainable tourism development and cultivate skilled tourism professionals, so as to elevate the quality of tourism services. She believed CATEA will make new achievements in its mission. ACC stands ready to join hands with its partners for promoting quality tourism education and developing human resources in ASEAN and China.

Initiated by the ASEAN-China Centre and Guilin Tourism University along with 18 tourism schools and enterprises from China and ASEAN in Guiyang, China in 2017, CATEA was established as a non-governmental organization on a voluntary basis. With a view to promoting exchanges and cooperation between tourism schools in China and ASEAN, CATEA also aims to better serve the needs of economic and social development in this region. Themed with “striking a holistic balance between conservation, communities and sustainable tourism”, the 3rd Annual Assembly of CATEA & International Forum on China-ASEAN Tourism Education 2019 brought together all the 21 member institutes from China and 10 Member States of ASEAN.