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PUTRAJAYA: The Asean tourism industry has a vital role in helping this region to develop the economy and drive investment, says Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi.

He said the Asean tourism industry, featuring some of the fastest growing destinations in the world within easy flying distance of less than four hours, will continue as a significant contributor to Asean’s GDP and GDP growth.

“Asean is in fact a dream destination. And as we keep the momentum going, it will continue to have a huge role to play.

“The industry helps us sell Asean, helps contribute to economic growth and helps drive investment,” he said at the opening of the Federation of Asean Travel Associations (Fata) Convention, here, Saturday.

His speech was read by Tourism Malaysia Deputy Director-General (Planning) Zulkifly Md Said.

The two-day convention, held in collaboration with Tourism Malaysia, is attended by 160 delegates from Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, Cambodia and Malaysia as host.

Mohamaddin said greater competition for the global tourism dollar will continue to increase, adding to the existing challenges that need to be addressed such as the threat of natural disasters and terrorism.

He said the challenges in the global tourism and tourism industry are also driven by volatile economic trends, as well as changing travel patterns and options that could affect the industry.

Mohamaddin said to meet the challenges, the Government and all industry players should continue to innovate, especially with new attractions and events to maintain the tourism sector.

As leaders and guardians of the sector, everyone must work together to build this important industry for greater opportunities and to remove barriers to growth, he added.