The Federation of Asean Travel Associations (FATA) said industry players need to continue to position and brand Asean as a single market destination to help the industry quickly recover from the economic disruptions of the pandemic.
Ritchie Tuaño, secretary-general of the FATA said within each member state, sub-regional destinations and circuits must be promoted to push the sector towards a strong comeback.
FATA likened Asean, with its 622 million population as having the potential of the domestic tourism within Europe, China, and the United States.
Tuaño, president of the Philippine Travel Agencies Association, said the Asean Tourism Strategic Plan (ATSP) for 2016 to 2025 remains their guidepost during the pandemic and beyond.
FATA said it will work with governments in the region to ensure that tourism survives during the pandemic while ensuring stakeholders readiness post COVID19,
Last year, tourist arrivals to the Asean region reached 133 million, 10 million ahead of the ATSP projection. This has translated to tourism playing a crucial role in economies within the region, contributing at least two percent to 14.50 percent to each members gross domestic product.
On June 19, FATA is organizing an online forum dubbed “Way Forward for Tourism in ASEAN” which will have tourism government officials and national tourism organization heads from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and the Philippines as resource speakers.
FATA has more than 7,700 members.
