ASEAN aims for unity on tourism
If Southeast Asia is to truly be a single tourist destination, give visitors from afar a single visa to travel freely. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is undertaking a tourism marketing campaign to mark its 50th anniversary this year. It is called “Visit ASEAN@50: Golden Celebration” and aims at increasing the number of international arrivals by 10 per cent to 121 million, up from 109 million in 2015. ASEAN is promoting the 10 member-countries – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – as a single tourist destination of immense diversity. The question is whether the average foreign tourist actually knows what “Asean” is, even if he’s heard of Southeast Asia. Surely the basic initial task for the policymakers behind this scheme is to make the “Asean brand” better known globally.
