Geographies in Depth

How can we encourage travel and tourism in ASEAN?

Anthony F. Fernandes
Chief Executive Officer, Capital A (AirAsia)

The official beginning of the One ASEAN Community is almost here – we are only a few months away – yet so much still remains to be done to establish true regional integration. In the case of travel in the region, discussions have been held and some actions made, but we are far from achieving our goals of facilitating travel in ASEAN.

We need concrete actions. For one, we need to work on easing access to and within ASEAN. Tourism has been identified as a key revenue generator by every ASEAN country, yet the entry rules at most of our borders seem to suggest otherwise. If we want more tourists from outside the region to come and spend their dollars in ASEAN, and thereby contribute to the growth of our economy, doesn’t it follow that we should ease access for them?

We have to make ASEAN more welcoming to tourists, and perhaps the introduction of a common ASEAN visa, similar to Europe’s Schengen visa, is a solution. This should include the building of an electronic visa system for all ASEAN countries for seamless border control. There is also a need to set up dedicated ASEAN immigration lanes at all international airports of member countries. While there have been early movers in this – the airports of Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, for example – we need all other international airports in the region to follow suit.

We also need to take concrete steps to build the ASEAN brand. What does ASEAN stand for, and what is our unique selling point? Branding is central to attracting tourists, and we need to find ways to build a positive brand for ASEAN. Relatedly, it is imperative that we raise awareness about ASEAN. Perhaps we can start by ensuring that the ASEAN flag is displayed alongside the national flags at the embassies of ASEAN countries and in schools across the region. Or through cultural exchanges and intra-ASEAN internship programs that provide students and graduates regional work experience.

We must ensure that we raise awareness about ASEAN and the progress of integration through regionally-coordinated campaigns on multiple channels and through traditional and social media so that our message gets across to young people, households and businesses and perhaps spur them into action.

Plans for ASEAN would be difficult to effect if the very institutions tasked to oversee implementation are weak. The governments of ASEAN as well as the private sector need to support the strengthening of these ASEAN institutions through the creation of commissions, or working groups, of businesses that are committed to regional development – tourism included – and focus on issues and solutions. We need to strengthen the ASEAN Secretariat through increased funding that would allow it to, among others, attract the sharpest minds in the region and add to its currently overstretched staff.

To truly facilitate travel in ASEAN, all stakeholders in the region need to work together, to discuss and share views on how best to push forward the improvements that are so desperately needed. And we need to start now.

The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2015 is available here.

Author: Tony Fernandes, Group CEO, AirAsia

Image: Tourists gather near the foot of the haze-covered landmark Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, June 25, 2013. REUTERS/Bazuki Muhammad

Don't miss any update on this topic

Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.

Sign up for free

License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

Stay up to date:

Supply Chain and Transport

Related topics:
Geographies in DepthSupply Chains and Transportation
Share:
The Big Picture
Explore and monitor how Supply Chain and Transport is affecting economies, industries and global issues
A hand holding a looking glass by a lake
Crowdsource Innovation
Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale
World Economic Forum logo
Global Agenda

The Agenda Weekly

A weekly update of the most important issues driving the global agenda

Subscribe today

You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. For more details, review our privacy policy.

BRICS: Here’s what to know about the international bloc

Spencer Feingold

November 20, 2024

How Japan can lead in forest mapping to maximize climate change mitigation

About us

Engage with us

  • Sign in
  • Partner with us
  • Become a member
  • Sign up for our press releases
  • Subscribe to our newsletters
  • Contact us

Quick links

Language editions

Privacy Policy & Terms of Service

Sitemap

© 2024 World Economic Forum