Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy has announced that a number of Indonesian hotels, cities, and tourist destinations won 14 ASEAN tourism awards in Laos.

"We are happy because several hotels have received awards from the Laos government in five categories," Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno said during his weekly brief followed online on Monday.

During the 2024 ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) in Vientiane, Laos, on Friday (29/1), the hotels won in four prestigious categories: ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Award, ASEAN Clean Tourist City Award, ASEAN Green Hotel Award, and ASEAN MICE Venue Award.

According to a statement from the ministry, the awards were presented directly by the Laotian government shortly before the forum's closing ceremony.

Indonesia, with its rich culture and diverse natural beauty, is a popular tourist destination in the world that attracts millions of visitors every year, the statement said.

With the conferring of the awards, it is hoped that Indonesia's tourism industry will continue to grow and develop.

The winners of the ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Award were Ubud Gastronomy in Bali in the rural category and Singkong Village in Salatiga, Central Java, in the urban category.

Surabaya in East Java and Balikpapan in East Kalimantan took the ASEAN Clean Tourist City Award.

Meanwhile, the ASEAN Green Hotel Award was won by Safari Resort in Bogor, West Java; Nihi Sumba in East Nusa Tenggara; 101 Bali Fontana in Seminyak, Bali; Capella Ubud in Bali; and Plataran Menjangan in Bali.

The ASEAN MICE Venue Award was presented to JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta (Dua Mutiara Ballroom), Ritz Carlton Hotel in Jakarta (The Ritz-Carlton Grand Ballroom), and El Royale Hotel in Bandung (The AmartaPura Grand Ballroom), with all of them winning in the "meeting room" category.

The Jakarta International Expo Kemayoran (Hall A, B, C, D, B3, C3) won in the exhibition venue category, and the Jakarta Convention Center won in the event venue category.

Related news: Jokowi views Karisma Event Nusantara 2024 as magnet of tourists
Related news: Karisma Event Nusantara 2023 attracted 7.36 million visitors: Minister