1 Promoting ASEAN as a single tourist destination

by using a single visa is the best policy

Southeast Asia, with its great outdoors and rich,
diverse culture, has the potential to be a strong global
brand in tourism, especially when the 10-member
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comes
up with a single visa for visitors and as infrastructure
spending boosts capacity to host visitors. From the
beaches of Bali, Boracay and Phuket, to the urban
skylines of Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, and the
palaces and temples of Bangkok and Angkor Wat, this
region could be the multi-faceted tropical destination.
According to a research, ASEAN continues to be an
attractive destination for both regional and
international tourists as it recorded 90.2 million
tourists in 2013, a 12 percent increase over the 2012
figure. If we promote ASEAN as a single tourist
destination, it would be a big opportunities to welcome
the world to know the real ASEAN. Not only tourist
destination but also the culture, people, traditional and
so on.


2 Promoting ASEAN as a single tourist destination
by using a single visa is the best policy
Promoting ASEAN as a single tourist destination is
indeed part of the regions roadmap and aside
from allowing visitors to travel throughout the
region using a single visa in the future, initiatives
have been mapped out to develop a set of tourism
standards with a certification process, enabling
tourism professionals to work in any of the ASEAN
member states. Some countries like Singapore,
Malaysia and Thailand have done very well
attracting hordes of tourists on their own but as a
region, ASEAN needs a more collective branding
a series of tourism campaigns that will go viral and
bring visitors to multiple countries. The wholesale
tourism business meetings, incentives,
conferences and exhibitions could be integral to
the regions bid to grab a greater market share.





3 Promoting ASEAN as a single tourist destination
by using a single visa is the best policy

According to the ASEAN Secretariat, the plan is expected to
promote the ASEAN as a single tourist destination, develop a
set of ASEAN tourism standards with certification process,
enable tourism professionals to work in any of ASEAN
members, and allow visitors to travel trought out the ASEAN
with a single visa.
I strongly agree that all 10 ASEAN member nations working
hand in hand with the public and private sectors, significant
progress has been made in growing a sustainable tourism
industry in the region. Through increased cooperation and
exploring mutually beneficial collaboration in facing common
regional challenges, every ASEAN nation stands to benefit
from sharing its unique, diverse cultures with the rest of the
world through tourism.
The plan is realistic, action oriented, attuned to the global
realities, and designed to ensure that the ASEAN can
continue to be a successful tourism destination.




My Flash
The study, conducted by travel search site Skyscanner, found that
81% of people would welcome an EU-style single visa system across
the Southeast Asian bloc. This came from a sample group of 7,000
people from Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea,
Thailand, India and China.
In addition to support for a common visa system across Southeast
Asia, a visa reciprocity system between countries also gained the
support of 87% of respondents.
The study also illustrates the extent to which visa requirements
influence the holiday choices of Asian travellers, with three-quarters
admitting that their choice of destination was often dictated by visa
requirements. An overwhelming 90% of Chinese respondents stated
this option.
The survey also suggests that many travellers find visa application
processes complex, with one in 10 saying they had made errors with
applications and a further 9% saying they had had a visa application
rejected.
The ASEAN region is currently moving towards a system of visa-free
intra-ASEAN travel for member nations, which is expected to be
realised in 2015. Meanwhile individual countries are making their
own arrangements to boost their tourism sectors, including joint
tourist visas and bilateral travel agreements. Thailand and Cambodia
currently offer a single tourist visa, with Laos and Cambodia reported
to be considering joining the scheme. And earlier this month
Thailand unveiled plans to offer visa-free travel to Chinese tourists,
in an effort to capitalise on the surging number of Chinese visiting
the country.