INDONESIA has proposed the creation of a MICE professional certification within the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) on Tourism Professionals, according to the chair of the ASEAN Tourism Professional Monitoring Committee (ATPMC).
Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily in an interview, Souhn Manivong, director general, tourism development department of Laos’ Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism – who represents Laos as ATPMC chair – said: “Indonesia is leading the development of this project (through a working group). Currently, it is preparing the competency units which will later be compiled with what other member countries have and be developed into a common ASEAN standard. (So far) we’ve learnt that Thailand has its own (MICE competency standards).”
Ani Insani, head of competency centre, resource development agency for tourism and creative economy, Indonesia Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, said: “(The ministry and the MICE industry in) Indonesia feel it is important to have such standards as the industry is growing in the region.”
Wisnu Budi Sulaeman, board member of Indonesia Congress and Convention Association, who leads the Indonesia contingent in the MICE competency working group, said: “On the conference side, Indonesia has established competency units for bidding, venue, registration and liaison specialists. On the exhibition side, we have existing standards for stand contractors and logistic specialists.”
Supervisory level standards are currently implemented across Indonesia, and managerial level standards are set to follow soon, according to Wisnu.
Meanwhile, preparation towards the full implementation of MRA by end-2015 is on track, said Manivong, who is also project director of the Greater Mekong Subregion Sustainable Tourism Development Project.
MRA’s successful implementation would facilitate mobility of tourism professionals within ASEAN, and he estimates that some 2,000 regional professionals will hold ASEAN-recognised certificates by then.
Read more in TTG Official Show Daily – ATF 2014
