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ASEAN Tourism Forum at a Make-or-Break Stage

ATF 2025
Written by Imtiaz Muqbil

The ASEAN Tourism Forum, starting on Jan 15 in Johor Bahru, Malaysua is at a make-or-break stage.

The flagship annual ASEAN tourism event is a shadow of its former self in the 1980s and 1990s.

Singapore and Brunei are not participating. They also did not show up at the 2024 event in Laos. Host country Malaysia has by far the most significant presence of exhibitors.

It will use the ATF to publicize its Visit Malaysia 2026 extravaganza. Thailand has barely a token presence.

Myanmar was alphabetically in line to host it in 2026. That would have been the second time after 2015, its first ATF.

For obvious reasons, that will not happen. ATF 2026 will be hosted in Cebu, Philippines.

In 2027, it would have been the turn of Singapore, whose public and private tourism sectors once played a leading role in ASEAN tourism. But Singapore’s interest in the ATF is clearly on the wane.

As the fixture host of a much bigger tourism event, the ITB Asia, the time, effort, and cost of hosting an ATF do not make commercial sense.

So, will it host the 2027 event, marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of ASEAN?

Or will it make way for Thailand, the next-in-line host, which I am sure will do a great job? Many decisions are coming up that will determine the future of this once-dominant regional trade show.

Much will depend on how well it reflects on the past and learns from its highs and lows.

Having followed the ATFs since attending my first one in Thailand in 1985, I am giving special lectures on their fluctuating fortunes.

I am looking forward to covering what will be yet another milestone in the history of ASEAN Tourism.

The image below is from my unmatched historical archives. It is the front page of the TTG Asia ATF Daily in January 1989, when Singapore saw great value in ATF.

image 25 | eTurboNews | eTN
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