Asean tourism ministers will meet here tomorrow to discuss efforts to strengthen regional integration and collaboration to ensure the grouping remain competitive and attractive as a destination.

Tourism Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor will represent Malaysia at the meeting which is one of the key meetings being lined up for this year's Asean Tourism Forum (ATF 2007) hosted by Singapore.

Other meetings involve heads of national tourism organisations as well as the annual Asean travelmart, "Travex", where members of the Asean travel industry showcase their latest products to more than 500 internatioanl buyers, said the ATF 2007 organiser.

There will also be Asean Tourism Conference (ATC) organised by the Asean Travel Association (Aseanta).

This year's ATC is expected to focus on the youth travel segment which makes up about 20 per cent of the global tourist market and increasing yearly by close to five per cent.

The highlight of the ATC incude presentations on youth tourism in Asean by University of Hawaii's Prof Jim Dator.

During the ATF 2007 from Jan 27 to Feb 3 at Raffles City Convention Centre and Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Asean officials will also hold dialogue and discussions with China, India, Japan and South Korea to reinforce tourism cooperation.

Dayne Lim, Deputy Chairman of the ATF 2007 host committee, said more than 1,600 delegates from over 50 countries have confirmed attendance at the various events.

He said the ATF delegates can also expect "a dose of youthful and vibrant" Singaporean hospitality as more than 150 tourism, resort management and business studies students from a local tertiary institution, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, are volunteering their service for the various events.

This year, the ATF -- a cooperative regional effort to promote Asean region as a single tourist destination -- marks its 26th anniversary since its inauguration in Malaysia in 1981.