Asean cooks up gastronomy pact
Southeast
Asian nations have pledged to strengthen gastronomy tourism, overland travel and cruise development, say tourism ministers.
Weerasak Kowsurat, the tourism and sports minister and chairman of the Asean Tourism Ministers Meeting, said Asean nations have created a two-year working plan (2018-19) to identify milestones that can increase tourist arrivals to the region and help develop new products.
The region sought to receive 125 million visitors in 2017, up from a projection of 121 million, thanks to its regional tourism campaign “Visit Asean@50” launched in 2016.
Intra-Asean travel accounts for 42% of total visits, with an average length of stay of 7.98 days and total expenditure of US$93 billion.
The World Travel and Tourism Council predicts tourism to contribute 12% of Asean GDP, nearly four percentage points above that of most regions in the world.
“Asean tourism growth potential seems unstoppable, and the region must strengthen it to sustain growth,” Mr Weerasak said.
He said Asean has initiated a framework and marketing direction to push the region as a single destination and provide a clear focus on opportunities to bring more visitors to each country.
Diane Dodd, president and co-founder of the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism, said one of the biggest trends for Asean is local food.
The Asean ministers pledged to emphasise gastronomy tourism, with the joint declaration aimed at raising awareness among Asean nations of the significance of gastronomy tourism in developing sustainable tourism in the region.
“Gastronomy is a crucial driver of sustainable tourism because it requires the efficient use of resources and advocates for the protection of environments, helping to alleviate climate change and preserve cultural and traditional values,” Ms Dodd said.
Development and promotion of gastronomy tourism should emphasise the community aspects, from cultivation to farming, packaging, innovation and the art of storytelling, she said.
At the tourism ministers meeting in Chiang Mai, the group also planned to develop the region as a hub for cruise and marine tourism. But cruise regulations in some countries need to be eased if they are to benefit from growth.
Asean is also expanding its cooperation in tourism product development in the private sector, with 130 such products in the region.
Tourism agencies also pledged to rapidly expand investment in infrastructure and facilities in Myanmar and the Philippines to keep pace with growth.
Tourism ministers completed 242 toolboxes for all divisions under the Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Tourism Professionals (MRATP). A study of developing a new five-year plan for MRATP is being carried out.
The group also extended a framework on cross-border transport to make border crossing by coach seamless.