Indonesia officially received the baton from Cambodia's leadership in the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) for the 2023 period. This mandate was handed over at the 2022 ATF event in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. "So we received the baton as chairman of the ASEAN Tourism Forum for the next one year. We plan to prepare several activities related to our chairmanship at the Asean Tourism Forum, which will peak in January 2023 in Yogyakarta," said the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy (Menparekraf) Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno in an official statement, Tuesday, January 18, 2022. Sandiaga said the appointment of Indonesia as the chairman of the ATF 2023 organizer in Yogyakarta was expected to be the peak of the momentum for national and regional economic recovery and job creation for tourism and creative economy actors. "Hopefully, Indonesia's chairmanship of the ASEAN Tourism Forum for economic revival and economic opportunities will be followed by the opening of jobs that are already needed by the tourism sector," he hoped.
Menparekraf explained that Yogyakarta was chosen as the location for the peak of the ATF 2023 event because it was considered to have adequate capacity and facilities. Yogyakarta, which is located relatively close to the Super Priority Destination (DSP) Borobudur, is expected to give a deep impression to the delegates from ASEAN countries who come to visit. Especially for the members of the delegation from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, who are predominantly Buddhist. "Hopefully Borobudur will not only become a popular destination but also full of meaning. Especially for markets such as Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam because there are many Buddhists in these countries," said Sandiaga.
RI's 5 super priority tourist destinations:
1. Mandalika in Lombok.
2. Lake Toba in North Sumatra.
3. Likupang in North Sulawesi.
4. Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara.
5. Borobudur in Central Java.
The forum provides a platform to encourage collaboration between ASEAN member states and to promote the region holistically as a destination, with diverse cultures, cuisines, and communities.
Here are the 10 AFT member countries:
1. Brunei Darussalam.
2. Cambodia, Indonesia.
3. Laos, Malaysia.
4. Burma.
5. The Philippines.
6. Singapore.
7. Thailand.
8. Vietnamese.
The ATF was founded in 1981 and each year, the operation of the ATF rotates among member countries.
