Ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, countries and Japan have agreed to develop sustainable tourism that benefits local communities.

The tourism ministers' special dialogue was held on Saturday in Tokyo, with Japan's land and tourism minister Saito Tetsuo taking part.

As the tourism industry is recovering from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the ministers held discussions on the theme of designing the path to sustainable tourism.

Their joint media statement says they agree to develop high-quality experiences that involve the unique cultural and natural attractions of the region.

It also says that they agree to encourage visits to lesser-known destinations and promote digital transformation for innovative tourism.

The ministers say that such initiatives help attain higher productivity and profitability in the tourism sector, and generate jobs in the community, which in turn leads to sustainable tourism.

Also the statement underlines the importance of the sector's contribution to mitigating environmental impacts and of enhancing climate change awareness.

It mentions introducing eco-friendly transportation and renewable energy in the sector.

After the conference, Japan's tourism minister Saito told reporters that a trusting relationship was forged with ASEAN countries, and that will serve as the basis for tourism activities focusing on local sustainability on both sides.