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Tourism booming in Southeast Asia
Tanah Lot temple in Bali, Indonesia
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Tanah Lot temple in Bali, Indonesia. (freeimages.com)
The Southeast Asian region is a paradise for international tourists by all means. With many pristine beaches, UNESCO world heritage sites, rich cultures, historic temples, caves, waterfalls, lovely lakes, rivers, mountains, islands, volcanoes, exotic animals, golf courses and extraordinary nightlife, Southeast Asia is one of the world’s hottest tourist destinations.
It is well-known for its tropical climate, hospitable people and mouthwatering cuisine. It is also one of the most peaceful regions in the world.
It is no wonder then that tourism in Southeast Asia has been consistently on a high-growth trajectory. Tourism in Southeast Asia has been booming in almost all countries of the region during the last 15 years.
In 1995, just 28.5 million international people visited Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Laos and Brunei Darussalam. The number of tourists to the region increased to 36.3 million in 2000 and then surged to 110.8 million in 2016.
In 2017, about 124.86 million tourists — mostly from China, Japan, South Korea, India and Russia — visited Southeast Asian countries. The number of tourist arrivals in the region might have surpassed the 135 million mark in 2018.
Tourism is more than you imagine. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, more than 1.32 billion people traveled worldwide in 2017 and spent US$1.34 trillion on travel, accommodations, food, souvenirs and relaxation.
Undoubtedly, tourism provides millions of jobs worldwide.
All Southeast Asian countries, excluding Timor Leste, earned $134.66 billion in 2017, about 12 percent of the region’s total gross domestic product (GDP).
Thailand, which is also known as the Land of Smiles, is the top tourist destination in the region with 35.38 million international visitors and an income of $57.47 billion from their visits. It is estimated that Thailand received about 38 million international tourists in 2018.
Malaysia was in second position with 25.94 million visitors in 2017. It would have received slightly more than 26 million foreign tourists in 2018.
Small Singapore, the most developed and richest country in Southeast Asia, recorded 17.42 million tourist arrivals in 2017. In 2018, the city-state might have received more than 18 million foreign tourists.
Indonesia, under the leadership of Tourism Minister Arief Yahya, has been making efforts to become Southeast Asia’s top tourist destination. It received 14.04 million foreign tourists and $16.80 billion in income in 2017. It wants to develop 10 “new” Balis to attract more than 20 million tourists by 2020.
The world’s largest archipelagic nation may have received more than 15 million tourists in 2018.
Vietnam is the fastest growing country in terms of growth in tourist arrivals in Southeast Asia. It received 12.92 million tourists in 2017, a huge jump from 10.01 million tourists in 2016. It created another record by attracting 15.6 million visitors in 2018.
In the next 10 years, both Vietnam and Indonesia may surpass Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore in terms of foreign tourist arrivals, as they have huge potential and both are investing heavily in infrastructure and training people to boost the tourist industry.
The uniqueness of Southeast Asia is that all 10 members of ASEAN are working together to promote the whole region as a single destination.
They even have the ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan 2016-2025. With the slogan “Feel the Warmth”, the vision for ASEAN tourism over the next decade until 2025 is to increase the quality of tourism and maintain a sustainable and inclusive tourist industry.
“By 2025, ASEAN will be a quality tourist destination offering a unique, diverse ASEAN experience and will be committed to responsible, sustainable, inclusive and balanced tourism development, so as to contribute significantly to the socio-economic well-being of ASEAN people,” ASEAN said.
To review the past achievements and set the next agenda, all the stakeholders of ASEAN tourism are gathering in Ha Long city in Vietnam from Jan.14 to 18 to attend the 38th ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2019 and its related meetings.
Sustainability has been the mantra for the ASEAN tourism sector. All the existing mechanisms and promotions are contributing to the unprecedented growth in the ASEAN tourism sector.
In the past, ASEAN countries set a target for receiving 123 million foreign tourists by 2020, but they already surpassed this in 2017. ASEAN is poised to achieve its ambitious target of receiving 152 million international visitors by 2025 by working together under the platform of the ATF.
