ASEAN Travel Show

The next ASEAN show is due to be hosted in Thailand early 2008. What is interesting with this show is that all the member countries work together as a collective to assist each other in tourism development.

The member countries all have individual goals, aims and targets but solidify these goals as part of a whole. Airline code sharing, hubs and multi-stopovers only enhance the opportunities to travellers for cheaper travel within the ASEAN regions of Asia.

As the organisation grows so too does its strength and focus within the global tourism marketplace. It will not be too soon before the ASEAN congress will act as a unified voice globally (in a more expanded and offical role) for the Asian countries and tourism development in general that other regions of the world save the EU,  have failed to  commericalise. 

 South and Central America have for many years voiced a collective voice but without the unity of organisations such as the EU, but to date have failed to walk a similar route as ASEAN in development of all its regions, trade and tourism.

The Central Amercian alliance fails to reach a similar objective role as one or two members are reluctant to release any equity in the lion share of the tourism market they currently enjoy.

The airline companies are now working together and formed code-share networks, coupon and cross carrier flight discounts specifically for Asia networks and the travel between Asian countries can only benefit.

Laos, the poor man of Asia whose cross border tourism migration numbers around a million each year has little dollars per head in revenue as travellers appear relucant to remain in the country for any period of time. It will be interesting to see if the alliance benefits Laos in the long term and neighbouring countries support their poor cousins in the face of tourism competition.

One such growth region has been between South Korea and the Phillippines.  Trade quickly followed availability and South Korean has not been slow to take advantage of this regions’ weather and excellent facilities that have mainly gone to waste due to political and global bad press and travel advise.  In a world where even the bigger and more established tourism haunts encounter problems, the Phillippines is not stranger here, but localised issues does not mean fear should be applied at every destination.

This is the first of many such alliances…Watch this space…..