The inaugural EU-ASEAN Aviation Summit, which takes place 11-12 February in Singapore, is set to boost bilateral tourism between the two blocs.

The one-and-a-half day summit will address key issues such as removing barriers to single aviation markets, new business opportunities, aviation safety, air traffic management, and the way forward in EU-ASEAN aviation relations.

Among the sessions, EU aviation experts will show how the creation of a single aviation market, as exists in Europe, would act as a major spur to rapid intra-ASEAN aviation growth.

The Summit intends to serve as an important platform to deepen the strategic aviation dialogue between ASEAN and the EU, with the aim is to conclude a comprehensive air transport agreement between the two regions in the near future. A clearer way forward for EU-ASEAN aviation collaboration and its priority areas are expected to be among the Summit’s outcomes.

“I believe cooperation, partnership and the easing of regulations will follow on from the summit,” said Mr Tran Phu Cuong, Deputy Director General, International Cooperation Department, Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), who is also Chairman of the ASEAN Tourism Marketing and Communication Working Group.

The Summit, which takes place during the week of the Singapore Airshow, is being hosted by the Government of Singapore.

Policy makers and senior industry executives from the public and private sectors will attend, including airlines, regional airline associations, airports, air navigation service providers, and manufacturers.

Over 11 million Europeans visited ASEAN in 2012, up from 9.8 million in 2011. ASEAN expects about 12 million for 2013, when the final numbers are received.

Europe is responsible for 11% of all international visitors arrivals to ASEAN, which draws most of its arrivals from neighbouring markets such as China, India, Japan and Korea.

The EU-ASEAN Summit is being organised jointly by the European Commission Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), represented by the ASEAN Air Transport Working Group and the ASEAN Secretariat.