• 
• 

Published on February 1, 2008

It will help maintain a regional air-pass project offering discount air travel, work to standardise hotel ratings within the region and boost human-resources training.

Prakit Chinamourpong, vice president of the Thai Hotels Association (THA) - an Aseanta member - said the measures were decided at a recent meeting in Bangkok.

The association will work with airlines to maintain a regional air-pass project specific to the 10 Asean countries.

Each pass covers three or four destinations within the region. The cost of a three-nation route will be cut to $359 (Bt11,900), from $399 now, and purchasing an additional sector to a fourth destination will cost $115, instead of the standard $159.

Prakit said the strategy would attract more tourists from both within and outside the region.

The second measure involves establishing the Asean standard hotel-rating system inSingapore, Vietnam, Laos, the Philippines, Cambodia, Burma and Brunei.

"Only Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia have implemented the Asean hotel standard, and that is not enough to promote the entire hotel industry in the region," Prakit said.

The THA will work with national tourism organisations in the seven target countries to develop the rating system.

The third measure involves developing human resources in all 10 member countries.

"Asean countries, particularly Singapore and Malaysia, are short of skilled workers, because many people are moving to work at casinos and entertainment centres in China and Macau, where English-speaking ability is needed. So we need to train more people to overcome this shortage," Prakit said.

Thai Tourism and Sports permanent secretary Sasithara Pichaichannarong said tourism bodies had discussed progress in implementing the Asean tourism road map.

Suchat Sritama

 The Nation