ASEAN for ASEAN: Intra-regional tourism cooperation

MANILA – Ten member national tourism organisations of ASEAN (ASEAN NTOs) revealed a combined ‘ASEAN for ASEAN’ campaign under nine different themes, to promote travel within ASEAN region. 

 

Under the campaign, each NTO has taken on a specific task with the effort to drive internal regional tourism through 2016, as well as generate awareness of ASEAN tourism brand.

 

Said Mr. Zulzalani Osman, Acting Head of Marketing and Promotion Centre from Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism, Brunei Darussalam, as also Chairman of ASEAN Tourism Marketing and Communication Working Group: “Although many ASEAN people are quite familiar with their neighboring countries, there are still plenty of unique tourism attractions in each ASEAN Member State yet to be visited and experienced. We’d like the people of ASEAN to be fully aware of, appreciates and proud of the great diversity of tourism assets in ASEAN Member States.”

 

While Brunei Darussalam promotes community-based tourism via trade shows, official website and publishing related articles in the print media, Cambodia promotes ASEAN culture and heritage tourism through its official website, tradeshows, national festivals, local TV and magazines, likewise with Myanmar, who also arranged photo exhibitions in their national events.

 

Indonesia endorses ASEAN spa and wellness via websites, participation in local trade shows and development of promotional videos; LAO PDR advocates nature-based tourism through the NTO’s website, brochures and other marketing collateral; Singapore promotes cruise tourism, especially the infrastructure and itinerary development in the region, the Southeast Asia Cruise branding project and the collective participation of ASEAN Member States at Cruise shows; Vietnam takes on river-based tourism by marketing and promoting it through print media, while Malaysia promotes the ASEAN adventure travel by developing an e-book, which is available on www.aseantourism.travel. Thailand organized experiential and creative travel through photo exhibitions and will run the #ASEANPhotowalk social media campaign. 

 

Philippines, on the other hand, promote MICE, by organising international events such as the ASEAN MICE Leaders Congress, ASEAN Plus Three Tourism Youth Summit, ASEAN Friendship Run, ASEAN Festival.  
 

The effort also includes featuring ASEAN tourism brand at the NTOs’ pavilions in tradeshows and in their promotional collaterals.

 

Statistics boast of a record number of intra-ASEAN visitor numbers that account for half the total of international tourist arrivals. Intra-ASEAN visitor arrival represented 46-48%, the largest share of the total international visitor arrival in the region in the past years.

 

Photo caption: Mr. Zulzalani Osman, Chairman of ASEAN Tourism and Communication Working Group