The ASEAN Tourism Forum 2002 was held from 21 to 28 January 2002, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia with the theme �Nature Links and Cultural Corridors.�  The ATF 2002 recorded 380 buyers from 47 countries, a 5 percent reduction from 2001, and 798 sellers, an increase of 1.3 percent, and 78 international and 55 domestic press/representatives.

The Visit ASEAN Campaign (VAC), launched at the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2001, has entered its second phase with emphasis on the consumer market and on intra-ASEAN travel.  In the first half of 2001, the campaign implemented below-the-line advertisements, i.e., distribution of generic brochures and ASEAN tourism maps.  Above-the-line campaign took place in the second half of 2001 through television advertisements on CNN, BBC, Discovery Channel, Channel News Asia, and other ASEAN TV stations.  The initiative was funded by ASEAN COCI and UNDP. The advertising campaign covered Europe, South Africa, Middle East, South Asia, South East Asia, Asia Pacific, Australia and New Zealand, and China.

All member countries are expected to carry the VAC logo in their promotional activities by 2002.  In terms of private sector support, Garuda Indonesia Airways has printed the VAC logo into its in-flight magazine while Royal Brunei Airlines has incorporated the logo at the end of its television advertisement for CNN.

In addition to media encounters, VAC collaterals were distributed at the Internationale Tourismus Borse-Berlin, World Travel Mart-London, Salon Mondial du Turisme-Paris, Korean World Travel Fair-Seoul, ASEAN COCI�s presentations of Realising Rama in European cities, Visit ASEAN Campaign Launch in Osaka and Tokyo, and WTO Conference on Sports and Tourism before the World Cup 2002 in Seoul, Korea.

ASEAN is working on an ASEAN Tourism Agreement, as directed by the leaders. The Agreement would contain measures relating to travel facilitation, transport, immigration, development of human resources, greater market access in tourism services, joint marketing and promotion, quality tourism, and tourism safety and security. The Agreement is expected to be signed by ASEAN Leaders during the Eighth ASEAN Summit in November 2002 in Phnom Penh.

ASEAN Air and Hotel Pass for travellers from outside ASEAN and the ASEAN Circle Fare for travellers within ASEAN have been continued by the ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA).

The ASEAN Tourism Journal and the ASEAN Tourism Training and Education Training Directory were launched at the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2002. The biannual journal and the directory are funded by ASEAN NTOs Fund and the Indonesian Government.

ASEAN held some seminars on tourism management, which included the Workshop on Strategic Media Management and Effective Media Handling by ASEAN Communication Team for Tourism in January 2001 in Bandar Seri Begawan; Seminar on Sustainable Tourism organised by Tourism Malaysia/ASEAN in October 2001 in Shah Alam; Workshop on ASEAN-Korea Tourism in May/June 2001 in Seoul; and Workshop on Visit ASEAN Campaign organised by ASEAN Japan Centre in September 2001 in Osaka.

The ASEAN Tourism Investment Guide, available online, has been continuously updated.  The Visit ASEAN Website www.asean-tourism.com continues to provide information to the general public on tourism in ASEAN.

ASEAN cooperation with China, Japan and the Republic of Korea in tourism has advanced with the holding of the first meeting of Tourism Ministers of the 13 countries during the ASEAN Tourism Forum in January 2002 in Yogyakarta.  Japan extended technical assistance to the ASEAN Cruise Development Study.  The ASEAN-Japan Centre organized the VAC launch in Tokyo in early 2002.  With Korea, two activities were held: Workshop on ASEAN and Korean Tourism for Korean and ASEAN Travel Agents on 31 May � 1 June 2001 and the Korean World Travel Fair (KOTFA) on 31 May � 3 June 2001.