Willem Niemeijer, CEO and co-founder of the Khiri Travel Group, Thailand shares his thoughts on the direction the ASEAN tourism industry should take to realise its full potential.
We reproduce his full blog below:
The tourism debate at the World Economic Forum on East Asia will take place in Bangkok on May 31. The deliberations will tell us how serious the tourism industry in the Mekong region and ASEAN Is about becoming more professional, integrating and growing up a bit.
A live televised TV debate entitled "Driving Growth Through Travel and Tourism" will take place 1045-1200 (Bangkok time) on Thursday May 31. The sub-theme of the debate is "What is the role of the travel and tourism industry in ASEAN integration?"
In the debate, some of the best minds in travel and tourism will address specific challenges such as creating jobs and growth opportunities, innovation and technology in tourism, learning from success stories in the region and enhancing competitiveness.
All well and good. But as an operator of innovative tours in Thailand and the Mekong region for 18 years, I say it's time for the tourism industry in ASEAN to grow up.
The industry is like a young teenager who has done well at primary school (over 80.5 million arrivals across 10 ASEAN countries in 2011 isn't bad). But does he now have the vision, willpower and dedication to become more skilled, innovative, disciplined and standards based?
That, after all, is the vision proffered by the much touted (but little understood) goal of ASEASN economic cooperation (AEC), due in the tourism service sector by 2015.
So my message to ASEAN travel and tourism leaders visiting the World Economic Forum in Bangkok is: "Quit beating about the bush!" From my perspective at the daily coalface of the tourism industry I want the political leaders of the region to knuckle down and implement five changes that will create growth, job opportunities and social inclusion.
Specifically:- Get rid of tourism visa applications: Instead, start issuing 30-day automatic tourism visas on arrival to ASEAN residents and a range of other markets. If you want growth, that will do the trick. If you want ASEAN to be competitive, be brave and just do it. It's no surprise that the three most successful destinations in ASEAN– Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand – have had tourism passes on arrival for years. Eliminate redundant administrative clutter in the tourism space and tourists will come. More jobs will be created.
Full story:
www.webintravel.com/blog/its-time-for-tourism-in-asean-to-grow-up_3188 
