1 © Springer Science+Business Media Singapore 2016
P. Mandal, J. Vong eds., Development of Tourism and the Hospitality Industry in Southeast Asia
, Managing the Asian Century, DOI 10.1007978-981-287-606-5_1
Chapter 1
Destination ASEAN, Beyond 2015
K. Thirumaran and Pamela Arumynathan
Abstract The 2015 year-end will mark a new era for the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations that seeks to transform from a loosely held cooperating nations to a more closely knit “ASEAN Economic Community” AEC of over 600 million
people. Greater economic cooperation is predicted to accelerate intra-ASEAN mobility. The AEC is expected to be characterized by the removal of tariffs and non-
tariff barriers to trade, common external tariffs, and free movement of capital, goods, labor, and people. In all of ASEAN, tourism is a key economic sector that
has implications for societies and cultures. This chapter evaluates the integrating elements that affect the tourism sector in member states. Building on earlier research
and current tourism industry practices in ASEAN, three key areas are examined: employment and inbound and intra-ASEAN travel strategies. The implementation
of the mutual recognition agreement and managed mobility of skilled labor opens up new economic vistas for people in the region seeking opportunities beyond
national boundaries.
Keywords Intra-ASEAN mobility • Regional opportunity • ASEAN integration •
AEC • ASEAN tourism
1.1 Introduction
The advent of the ASEAN Economic Community AEC on December 2015 will have an impact on labor and entrepreneurial mobility in the tourism industry. The
AEC’s potential is currently at a predictive stage, and various member states are at different stages of preparations. According to the blueprint, the AEC 2015 intends
to “transform ASEAN into a region with free movement of goods, services, invest- ments, skilled labor, and freer fl ow of capital” Heng
2012 . However, as the AEC
emerges in the latter part of 2015, member countries’ tourism policies indicate
K. Thirumaran , Ph.D. • P. Arumynathan , M.Ed.
JCU , Singapore , Singapore e-mail:
k.thirumaranjcu.edu.au ;
pamela.arumynathanjcu.edu.au
balitrulyyahoo.com
counter developments at the national level, contradicting the meaning of an eco- nomic community. Nevertheless, the AEC is expected to have a positive impact on
tourism. By 2020, ASEAN will draw even closer forming both a security commu- nity and sociocultural community. Together, these formations will witness new
regional institutions servicing the people and consolidating local resources to a level suffi ciently competitive with larger entities such as India and China Chiangrai
Times
2014 .
Each year ASEAN youths gather in one of the member countries and discuss issues related to ASEAN unity and developments for young people within the
region. During one such occasion, youths gathering in Myanmar in 2014 called for inclusive, grassroots economic development Erviani
2014 . ASEAN youth
responses and the declarations of the annual ASEAN Youth Forum reveal aspira- tions for greater regional social integration and economic liberalization. The oxy-
moron of youth keenness and intensifi cation of bureaucracy from 2015 presents challenges for skilled labor movements and tourism fl ows Chia
2014 . The leaders,
on the other hand, have thus far led ASEAN as an elite consensus-seeking group with economic programs promulgated by intergovernmental ministries focusing
mainly on technical exchanges in training, education, and economic cooperation. The establishment of AEC is a signifi cant step taken towards formalizing regional
integration. The AEC is aimed to create a single production base and a single mar- ket among the member nations, and the AEC will enable ASEAN to create a highly
competitive economic region. With the establishment of the AEC, the region is expected to establish an equitable economic development; the region will also be
able to integrate more fully into the global economy Destination Thailand News
2014 . The AEC is expected to increase cooperation in the areas of human resource
development, recognition of professional qualifi cations, capacity building, and all other types of macroeconomic and fi nancial policies. The AEC will transform the
ASEAN nations into a region that will enjoy free movement of goods, services, and professionals, and there will be a free fl ow of investment and capital. This chapter
examines the state of ASEAN tourism and the AEC’s potential impact on the indus- try in the context of promoting the destination as a single entity.
1.2 Brief Comparisons and Dynamism of ASEAN
