ASEAN–China Tourism Dialogue held in Malaysia

The ASEAN–China Tourism Dialogue was held in Langkawi, Malaysia, on July 22, establishing a high-level platform for exchange among tourism stakeholders from China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states.

Themed "Building Regional Consensus and Stronger Synergies: Shaping the Future of China–ASEAN Tourism", the event was co-hosted by the World Tourism Alliance, the ASEAN–China Centre, Tourism Malaysia, and the Islamic Tourism Centre, with support from China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Malaysia's Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.

Drawing nearly 400 delegates from tourism authorities, industry associations, travel enterprises, and airlines across China and ASEAN member states, the dialogue aimed to deepen bilateral exchanges, inject fresh momentum into high-quality regional tourism, and support the building of a closer China–ASEAN community with a shared future, organizers said.

Key dignitaries in attendance included WTA Chair Zhang Xu; Malaysia's Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Tiong King Sing; Secretary-General of the ASEAN–China Centre, Zhang Lizhong; and Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia, Ouyang Yujing—all of whom delivered opening remarks.

Participants agreed that China and ASEAN are vital mutual sources of tourists and key destinations for each other. Tourism plays an irreplaceable role in deepening people-to-people ties and promoting regional connectivity, offering vast prospects for collaboration.

During the opening session, keynote speakers Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy, and Kao Kim Hourn, secretary-general of ASEAN, explored ways to advance China–ASEAN cooperation in the tourism sector and examined the outlook for the region's tourism economy in the years to come.

Subsequent panel discussions focused on key issues such as the resilience of regional tourism, digital intelligence and innovation, and cultural heritage and creative tourism. Representatives from Chinese organizations exchanged insights and discussed future trends alongside travel officials and industry leaders from ASEAN countries, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The Malaysia–China Tourism Dialogue was held in tandem with the event, where tourism stakeholders from both nations engaged in targeted discussions on two-way tourist exchanges, cross-border product development, and joint marketing campaigns. Concurrently, a business-to-business matching session was organized for China–ASEAN travel enterprises, resulting in several cooperation agreements.

Additionally, a promotional event was held to showcase the cultural and tourism assets of Hangzhou to the ASEAN market.