A new ASEAN marketing campaign has been launched to encourage more tourists to visit the region, spend more and stay longer.
The Visit ASEAN@50 campaign coincides with the 50th anniversary of ASEAN and will highlight the region's 50 best festivals and 50 most unforgettable travel experiences.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong launched the campaign yesterday at the opening of a five-day ASEAN Tourism Forum attended by 750 participants, including representatives from the ASEAN countries.
The aim of the campaign is to grow international tourism arrivals to the region by 10 per cent to 121 million, spending to US$83 billion (S$118 billion) and the average length of stay to six to seven days by the end of the year. Lee noted that reaching the tourism arrival target was "entirely achievable".
He suggested three ways to go beyond a marketing campaign to drive tourism growth in the region: Strengthen air links within ASEAN, promote cruises within the region and develop talent in the industry.
While ASEAN has made important progress in air travel, Lee said there was still huge potential for numbers to grow, given that all ASEAN members had ratified the open-skies agreement. The agreement lifts restrictions on airline capacity and competition.
ASEAN, with its archipelagos, year-round tropical weather and calm waters, was also in a good position to promote cruise tourism, said Lee, adding that Singapore will be the lead coordinator to develop cruise tourism in the region.
Source : Jakarta Post
