THE Federation of ASEAN Travel Associations (FATA) wants to expand its membership base to cover Asia-Pacific in order to play a more effective role on the global platform.

However, for that to happen, FATA will first have to garner support from other travel associations in the region.

Its president, Mohd  Khalid Harun, said he would go to Japan at the end of this month to meet with counterparts there, before proceeding to do the same in China. “We have to go country by country to promote the idea and get support.”

Khalid explained:  “(We) are small, with only 10 members. We want to create a bigger association comprising members from Asia-Pacific in order to be a strong global player and to make decisions on travel  (consultant)-related issues affecting the Asia-Pacific region.”

As for coming up against the region’s other established association, he said FATA’s concept and reach would differ from PATA’s, “as we will focus solely on issues concerning travel and tour operators in the Asia-Pacific”.

“If all goes well, we hope to form the Asia-Pacific Travel Association in a year’s time.”

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SOUTH-EAST Asia is recording significant growth in Russian arrivals, who are spilling over beyond Thailand and into neighbouring countries.

“Russia is now one of the fastest-growing source markets for Vietnam. Last year, we recorded a dramatic growth of about 70 per cent,” said Tran Phu Cuong, deputy director general, international cooperation department, Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, at the ASEAN NTOs + Russia meeting.

Tith Chantha, director general, Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism, noted a similar trend. He said: “Last year, Cambodia welcomed 100,000 Russian tourists, marking a 50 per cent increase from the year before. For 2013, we are targeting 30-40 per cent growth.”

Head of Russia’s Federal Agency for Tourism, Alexander Radkov, said that more than one million Russians visited South-east Asia last year, with Thailand being the top destination (TTG Asia e-Daily, September 27, 2012), though Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore were becoming increasingly popular.

However, regional NTOs told TTG Asia e-Daily that a key challenge was still the lack of Russian-speaking guides, an issue that is being addressed.

Said Yuri Kopylov, vice-rector of Russian State University for Tourism & Service: “We will widen the format of language courses to include language immersion courses in Russia; previously it was just an e-learning programme for tour operators on the Internet, followed by a one-month course in Jakarta. We are also in discussion with PATA to foster closer links for exchange programmes and internships between Russia and ASEAN.”

Radkov added: “We still have to remove barriers such as visa formalities and improve security for Russian tourists in South-east Asia.”

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SARAWAK will get the chance to showcase its ecotourism offerings next year when the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) heads there for the first time.

Bearing the theme ASEAN Advancing Tourism Together, ATF 2014 will be held in Kuching, capital of the eastern Malaysian state, from January 16-23.

The ASEAN Travel Exchange (TRAVEX) will be held at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching, where some 1,000 regional sellers and 600 international buyers will congregate. Tourism ministers and heads of national tourism organisations will put their heads together at the five-star Pullman Kuching.

Malaysia’s minister of tourism, Ng Yen Yen, said: “Hosting ATF 2014 is timely, as it will be the first international tourism event of the year in Malaysia, and will help usher in Visit Malaysia Year.”

Ng added that Sarawak, home to the world’s oldest tropical rainforest, would make an “apt venue” for ATF 2014.

“Delegates can discuss pertinent issues on sustainable development and more in a remote destination, surrounded by nature, which will provide for greater concentration.

“We chose to host ATF in Sarawak as we would like to give the destination greater exposure. It has great ecotourism products and good infrastructure for MICE. By organising ATF there, we hope to showcase the destination’s natural beauty, infrastructure for business events and diverse tourism products to those looking for adventure, heritage and culture.”

The minister said excursions and post-show tours to East and Peninsular Malaysia would provide an opportunity for ATF delegates to witness the developments in the country since 2005, when Malaysia last hosted the rotating annual event in Langkawi.

“We wish to present Sarawak as a model case study to be emulated by overseas tour operators and planners on how a secondary destination can build on its strengths – blending culture and the environment – to become successful in tourism,” Ng said.

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THE highest powers in ASEAN’s tourism bodies will debut a new website today to promote intra-ASEAN travel and tour packages, which some say overlaps with a website launched by the ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA) in 2010.

The brainchild of the region’s tourism ministers, Aseantourism.travel features a commercial component that contains 130 South-east Asian tourism products that have been endorsed by regional leaders.

Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism secretary-general, Ong Hong Peng, who was also the NTO head for Malaysia and chairman of the Product Development Working Group at the 37^thMeeting of ASEAN NTOs on January 18, said the next step of the project would see the creation of tour packages combining two or more ASEAN countries and promotion on the new site.

The website also provides information related to the region’s tourism industry such as policies, facts and figures, and marketing initiatives.

Sansern Ngaorungsi, deputy governor Asia and South Pacific Market at Tourism Authority of Thailand and chairman of the Marketing Working Group, said Aseantourism.travel, developed at a cost of US$20,000, allows member countries to log in and update content.

However, some travel trade players regard the new website as a duplicate of ASEANTA’s online portal, SoutheastAsia.org, first promoted at ITB Berlin in 2010.

A source close to the SoutheastAsia.org project said the new website would “confuse the public who will not know which is the latest”.

The source added: “There are more than 2,000 tour packages on SoutheastAsia.org, while the new website has only 130 (products). (The former) must be promoted further. ASEANTA may lack funds for promotion, so ASEAN NTOs should come in and allocate a budget for support.”

ASEANTA board member, Oudet Souvannavong, admitted that SoutheastAsia.org was not up-to-date as there was a “lack of (manpower) capacity”.

He said ASEANTA might consider heeding suggestions from some members to privatise the website.

That said, Oudet does not see the new site as competition. He said: “From a business standpoint, the more portals, the better.”

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ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA) is determined to play a larger role within the regional tourism landscape, a goal it is working towards by seeking out new sources of income.

The association’s newly elected president, Mohd Khalid Harun, said: “We would like ASEANTA to be able to advise the governments in terms of policies and be actively involved in decision-making.”

He added that, at times, there were decisions taken by the governments that ASEANTA was not aware of and could have given its input on.

While the ASEANTA board meeting is a platform for communication between the public and private sectors, Mohd Khalid said regular dialogue was better.

“That is why we need to reactivate the ASEANTA secretariat. We already have it, but there is no staff as we have no money. We need to generate income to be able to function well,” he said, adding that he intended to engage project partners, such as IT and credit card companies, to explore joint opportunities.

ASEANTA also wants to organise ATF’s Travel Exchange (TRAVEX) and its conference component, starting with next year’s edition in Malaysia.

“ASEANTA members are professionals in the industry. In Malaysia, for example, we have the Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA), which is an operational body, whose members are experts in the business. We will bid as ASEANTA, let (a PCO) run it and share the profit.

“However, the final decision remains with the host country,” said Mohd Khalid, who became president following the ASEANTA board meeting on January 19, which saw predecessor Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association chairman, Yanti Sukamdani, stepping down after completing her two-year term.

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