Ep 258: Is an ASEAN Tourism Visa South East Asia's Most Pressing Travel Concern?

“Despite referencing the word ‘tourism’ 26 times in its new Vision 2045 plan, ASEAN remains uncomfortable discussing a regional tourism visa. This largely reflects its institutional limitations rather than a lack of ambition.” Over recent months, significant hype has surrounded the possibility of the 10 countries (soon 11) of South East Asia launching a shared visa for tourists. The context is that each country in the region wants to expand tourism to support economic development. Enabling visitors to travel “borderless” throughout the region would, in theory, unlock more tourism and more revenue generation.

Meanwhile, China and countries in the Middle East and Central Asia are intent on drawing away tourists from South East Asian nations. This week, Gary deconstructs the 6 key issues around a potential ASEAN Tourism Visa: The Historic Context; The Post-Covid Imperative; The Schengen Model; ASEAN’s 2045 Community Vision; South East Asia’s Institutional Challenges and the Way Forward. So, what happens next?

This week’s edition of the show was inspired by a new article Gary has written, Will an ASEAN tourism visa take off?, for the Asia Media Centre in New Zealand, which you can read here: https://www.asiamediacentre.org.nz/will-an-asean-tourism-visa-take-off