The 25th M-ATM Plus Three: Advancing Sustainable, Inclusive, Resilient and Quality
CEBU/Philippines, BTNp: CHAIRED by Secretary of Tourism of Philippines, Christina Gracian the 25th Meeting of ASEAN, China, Japan and Republic of Korea Tourism Ministers (25th M-ATM Plus Three) was convened on 30 January 2026, in Cebu, Philippines.
The Meeting was preceded by the 48th Meeting of the ASEAN Plus Three National Tourism Organizations (NTOs) on 27 January 2026, which laid the groundwork for constructive discussions.
The Meeting noted that the ASEAN Plus Three region continued to show positive recovery momentum. Preliminary figures indicate that the region recorded approximately 226 million international visitor arrivals in 2025, reflecting sustained recovery supported by enhanced connectivity, diversified tourism offerings, and strengthened promotional activities. The Meeting expressed cautious optimism for continued growth in the coming years.
The Meeting welcomed the successful conclusion of the ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Tourism Cooperation Work Plan 2021–2025 and acknowledged its contributions to enhancing service quality, advancing human resource development, strengthening tourism standards, and promoting ASEAN as a quality and sustainable tourism destination. The Meeting commended the strong collaboration among ASEAN and the Plus Three countries over the past decade in supporting these achievements.
Advancing Sustainable
The Meeting noted that ASEAN’s tourism priorities for 2026–2030 will center on advancing sustainable, inclusive, resilient, and quality tourism; enhancing seamless travel and connectivity; strengthening human capital development; accelerating digital transformation and product innovation; and deepening collaboration on joint marketing and promotion to position Southeast Asia and the ASEAN Plus Three region as a single, high-quality destination.
The Meeting adopted the APT Tourism Cooperation Work Plan 2026–2030, which aligns closely with these priorities. The Work Plan underscores cooperation to enhance tourism resilience; expand capacity-building and knowledge sharing; promote digital innovation; advance sustainable and community-based tourism; and scale up joint marketing and promotional efforts to strengthen ASEAN Plus Three’s visibility and competitiveness as an integrated tourism region.
The Meeting underscored the importance of enhancing joint tourism marketing efforts to boost regional visibility, diversify source markets, and support multi-destination travel. The Meeting encouraged greater coordination in promoting thematic tourism routes, cruise tourism, nature-based and cultural tourism, and youth exchange programmes, leveraging digital tools and data-driven strategies to reach global audiences more effectively.
The Meeting expressed appreciation for the close partnership and continued support from China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea in implementing capacity-building programmes, professional exchanges, joint promotional efforts, and tourism development projects that have helped strengthen industry resilience and people-to-people connectivity across the region.
The Meeting encouraged continued collaboration with relevant centers and institutions, including the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), the ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC), and the ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC), to support the implementation of the new Work Plan. These initiatives will help equip tourism professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to remain competitive and adaptable to emerging trends.
The Meeting noted that the 26th M-ATM Plus Three will be held in Singapore in 2027. *BTNewspaper
