Thailand moves ahead on MRA

BANGKOK  Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister, Kobkarn Wattavrangkul, has signed the agreement on the establishment of a regional secretariat to support the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Tourism Professionals.
ASEAN ambassadors and representatives from ASEAN member states, executives, stakeholders from governmental and private sector were also present to witness the signing ceremony, last Friday, at the InterContinental Hotel, Bangkok.
The Tourism and Sports Minister noted tourism ministers of ASEAN signed off on the initial Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Tourism Professional, 9 November 2012. The long-term aim is to facilitate the mobility training of tourism professionals, the exchange of information on best practices in competency-based education and capacity building across ASEAN member states.
The tourism minister said: “Today marks the entry of Thailand as the ninth country to sign off on the establishment MRA and Vietnam will be next. Once all members sign it will help to improve standards in the tourism industry across the region.”
inside no 3 Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul
Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul
According to ASEAN Blueprint, Vietnam has to sign this establishment agreement by August and all the members will together ratify the agreement at the end of the year in time to launch the ASEAN Economic Community.
The decision of the 16th Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers held on 21 January 2013, in Vientiane, Lao PDR supported the establishment of a regional secretariat for ASEAN tourism professional in Jakarta, Indonesia, to be the main agency to implement ASEAN MRA on provide support for operations and management.
Secretariat functions:
Enhance awareness and provide capacity building on the implementation of the MRA including marketing and promotion of the services offered by the Secretariat;
Develop, maintain and update the ASEAN Tourism Professional Registration System (ATPRS) including its database management and resources for implementation of the MRA;
Formulate, update, and recommend the necessary mechanisms including certification and assessment to enable the smooth implementation of the MRA;
Ensure effective and efficient use of human, financial, and capital resources of the Secretariat;
Perform such other functions and responsibilities that may be assigned to it by the Governing Council.

sourced:ttrweekly.com