ID :
236032
Fri, 04/13/2012 - 07:09
Auther :

Competent workforces, better coordination: keys to survive tourism liberalisation in AEC

BANGKOK, April 13 (TNA) - The Director of Finance, Industry and Infrastructure of the ASEAN Secretariat says that competent workforces and better coordination amongst government and relevant agencies are crucial to overcoming competitive pressure in tourism liberalisation. Speaking at a seminar held in Bangkok on tourism integration in ASEAN, Dr Somsak Pipop-pinyo said Thailand was one of the most prepared countries for tourism integration in 2015. However, one of the biggest challenges for the country was the delay of several arrangements due to the lack of common understanding and good coordination among domestic and international stakeholders. Somsak, however, lauded the Thai government for its effort to improve tourism professionals through ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA), which provided recognised standards for 32 job titles based on Hotel and Travel Services. In response to the MRA, Thailand’s Tourism and Sport Ministry has initiated various capacity building programmes to upgrade the skills of 200,000-300,000 tourism workforces, with online technology being developed to facilitate distance training. Somsak urged ASEAN member states to focus more on increasing arrivals of ASEAN and the plus three, plus six tourists in the region, citing that intra-ASEAN travel was the major source market for the region with share of 47 per cent in 2010. (TNA)

X