SIHANOUKVILLE: Tourism Ministers, other leaders and officials from ASEAN member countries, together with the ASEAN Secretary-General, announced the official reopening of ASEAN tourism from Sihanoukville on Tuesday night.

The announcement of the reopening of ASEAN tourism is in line with the vision of ASEAN socioeconomic recovery, based on the principle of intra-ASEAN tourism which sets the Covid-19 vaccine as the baseline to achieving social immunity and encouraging people to live in the ‘new normal’, and ensure services and business can continue to run in accordance with ASEAN principles on hygiene and safety for tourism professionals and the community.

The move to reopen with such measures in place aims to promote trust and confidence while being encouraging to all tourism operators and service providers in the ASEAN region.

Along with the announcement of the reopening of tourism in the region, the new ASEAN Tourism Logo with the ASEAN Safe Travel Stamp "Safe and Warm" was also launched.

The 40th ASEAN Tourism Forum 2022, which Cambodia hosted after a two-year suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic, has been hailed by ASEAN Secretary-General, Dato Lim Jock Hoi, as a message and signal to the world on the reopening of tourism in the ASEAN region.

As the 2022 ASEAN Chair, Prime Minister Hun Sen has emphasized the importance of reconnection ASEAN to boost people-to-people economic ties and tourism, while still promoting the fight against Covid-19 when opening tourism corridors.