KUALA TERENGGANU, Dec 14 — Leaders in Asian countries are urged to cut tourism bureaucracy barriers to the minimum in order to increase the arrival of visitors and boost the continent’s tourism industry to the world stage.
The International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) vice-chairperson and special rapporteur, Mushahid Hussain Sayed, said bureaucracy processes such as visa applications should be made easier, less time-consuming and avoid any unnecessary steps.
“The biggest thing is to cut out bureaucratic barriers. Visa (application) should be made easy. Most Asian countries are very bureaucratic, there are rules, regulations, long papers, documents to fill in. It should be in online simple form, fill it and then just go.
“Because tourists are friendly people. They are not terrorists. They are carrying the message of peace and they are in the quest of knowledge and learning. They are spending money visiting a country so it is good for the country, generating employment there,” he said.
Mushahid from the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) party was speaking to Bernama on the sidelines of the First Meeting of the ICAPP Tourism Promotion and Inter-City Cooperation (Topic) Council here today.
The former Pakistan minister of Information, Cultural and Tourism said other important elements such as infrastructure and air travel connectivity should be very smooth in each Asian country as tourism is currently the most world’s biggest and fastest growing industry.
“Therefore, this ICAPP meeting in Terengganu is an extremely important platform for Asian countries’ representatives to discuss and support one another in the field of tourism,” he said.
Meanwhile, ICAPP Standing Committee member Lee Hye Hoon from Korea suggested that political parties in ICAPP play a role in promoting cooperation for sustainable tourism.
“We can engage in coordinated efforts, together with national and local authorities, private sectors, and communities, to promote a greater understanding of the value of partnerships as an implementation of sustainable economic development through the promotion of tourism in Asia,” she said.
The Member of Parliament and Chairperson of the Intelligent Committee of the National Assembly, Republic of Korea, said the ICAPP members could also induce the governments to engage in wholehearted efforts to address critical issues such as travel facilitation, promotion of economy and so on.
The First Meeting of the ICAPP Tourism Promotion and Inter-City Cooperation (Topic) Council was attended by almost 100 delegates from 25 countries including the Republic of Korea, Pakistan, Vietnam and India.
The four-day ICAPP meeting which started yesterday was the first hosted in Terengganu and the first time the members discussed tourism promotion. — Bernama
