CEBU CITY (Jan 27): The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), under Philippine chairship, is seeking to sustain practical collaboration with Russia to promote frictionless travel and tourism growth in the region, the Philippines News Agency (PNA) reported. Speaking at the 16th Asean–Russia Tourism Consultation on Tuesday, Tourism Undersecretary Verna Buensuceso said Asean is aiming to build an "inclusive" and "resilient" tourism sector. "We value the Russian Federation as a long-standing partner of Asean in strengthening people-to-people exchanges. Buensuceso said Asean is keen to pursue cooperation that boosts traveller confidence and safety, supports workforce development and skills exchange, and improves connectivity to make travel more accessible and seamless. Four years after the pandemic, Maksimov said tourism flow between Russia and Asean states has steadily recovered by 93%.

Source: The Edge Markets January 27, 2026 13:53 UTC