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
The number of tourist arrivals into ASEAN is almost equal to the world’s most popular destination, France. France received 84 million visitors in 2013 and is
expected to host 100 million tourists by 2030 France Diplomatie 2014
. The European Union EU, China, Australia, Korea, and Japan are the top fi ve countries
or regions supplying ASEAN with tourists. The ASEAN grouping’s economy burgeoned to over two trillion dollars in 2013, putting it ahead of India US1.8
trillion and Australia US1.5 trillion The World Bank 2014
; ASEAN employs 26 million people and contributes US96 billion dollars to the GDP. The ASEAN
grouping has singled out tourism as a signifi cant area to enhance the region’s attrac- tiveness and consolidate its dynamism to an advanced level The World Bank
2014 .
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ASEAN may seem like the EU, but there are a number of differences between the two, which distinguish them from each other. With the AEC , it is yet to be seen
if such open borders will become a reality by late 2015. The processes of EU’s decisionmaking are very transparent; the transparency sets the ground rules for the
accountability of decisionmakers. The EU has been able to bring in transparency because it has adopted formal rules and regulations via the Schengen Treaty embed-
ded into its economic integration policy NNT
2014a ,
b . However, both the EU and
ASEAN have been using soft, informal, and voluntary mechanisms for bringing about regional cooperation and integration. This soft approach has helped ASEAN
to achieve increased integration among member countries. On the tourism front, ASEAN has two key websites that promote the region as a
single destination Abonyi 2012a
, b
with multiple themes to encompass all the varied tourism landscapes. Thus far, ASEAN tourism efforts have been limited to
familiarization tours, offi cial training exchange programs, and website promotion for industry partners without substantial regional integration of travel initiatives or
programs. In 2011, the ASEAN Secretariat released a strategic plan for tourism development in the region. Vision 2015 advocates greater connectivity and enhanced
tourism product variety. The ASEAN development plan also seeks to involve resi- dents through sustainability and responsible tourism Wicakesena
2011 . Of the
broad strategies, three points are clear: to develop tourism standards with a certifi ca- tion process recognized by all member states, travel facilitation, and ASEAN con-
nectivity. These approaches directly affect the tourism industry and are examined to the extent to which progress has been made towards this direction within the context
of AEC .
1.3 The Challenge of ASEAN as a Single Destination
