(TITC) – Tourism businesses applying ASEAN Tourism standards will help improve service quality and management efficiency on par with regional and international standards.
Tan Hoa Tourism Village – UNWTO’s Best Tourism Village 2023 (Photo: Collection)
According to Mr. Hoang Quoc Hoa, Director of Tourism Information Technology Center (Vietnam National Authority of Tourism), ASEAN member states have determined that building ASEAN tourism standards to standardise tourism services in the region is a necessary solution in the roadmap to promote ASEAN into a common quality destination.
The ASEAN Tourism Standards are published by the ASEAN Secretariat on the basis of consensus among member countries, in order to standardise and contribute to improving the quality of tourism products and services, as well as strengthening the responsibility of stakeholders in regional tourism development.
To date, there have been 08 sets of ASEAN Tourism Standards on: (1) ASEAN sustainable tourism products, (2) ASEAN clean tourism city, (3) ASEAN community tourism, (4) Housing with rooms for rent to ASEAN tourists, (5) Green hotels ASEAN, (6) ASEAN MICE Tourist Destinations, (7) ASEAN Spa Services, (8) ASEAN Public Toilets. These documents provide specific instructions on criteria, methods, and assessment processes as a basis for tourism service establishments and assessment and certification organisations to apply and implement.
Implementing and expanding ASEAN tourism standards is one of seven action programmes to implement the strategic direction “Strengthening ASEAN’s competitiveness as a single tourism destination” is identified in the ASEAN Tourism Strategy 2016 – 2025. And this is also a support activity of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for sustainable tourism development in the greater Mekong sub-region.
Establishments that meet the conditions and standards will have the opportunity to register to participate in the ASEAN Tourism Awards – the leading prestigious award in the region to honour excellent units in the tourism industry, awarded at the ASEAN Tourism Forum is held annually.
Tourism Information Technology Center