South East Asian nations team up in tourism campaign

Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Burma have decided to join together and promote themselves as one tourist destination in an attempt to compete with the region's more established destinations. The countries have come up with the slogan: "Four Countries: One Destination". Promoters hope the campaign will help the South East Asian nations net more visitors in a region where competition for tourists is tough.

China is the region's best performer and was placed 5th in world rankings released by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation at the end of last month. Cheah Wai Hong, who helped organise the International Travel Expo in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, earlier this month, says it's hard for smaller Asian destinations to compete. "I mean China is the biggest one of course...so, if you are one country, you can't compete with China."

"Similarly the big destinations in South-East Asia like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore - I mean, those are established destinations."

"So the way I look at it, the only way to really tap on large tourist groups I believe, when they group it together, they will be much more attractive."

Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma and Laos are far behind the region's tourism leaders. Malaysia's tourism industry has exploded in recent years, and with 23 million arrivals in 2009 it crept into the world's top ten tourist destinations at number 9. Even neighbouring Thailand attracted close to 8 per cent, over 14 million people, of the Asia-Pacific region's tourists last year.

There are also major disparities between the four countries involved in the joint promotion.

While Vietnam has only 2 per cent of the market share, Ho Chi Minh City has already established itself as a major transport hub for that corner of the region. Even Cambodia, with just over 1 percent of the world market share, had almost twice as many visitors as Laos last year.

But that didn't stop the three nations agreeing on a three-way promotion strategy back in 2007, and they have now welcomed Burma into their partnership.

Somphong Mongkhonvilay, Laos' tourism minister and Chairman of the Lao National Tourism Authority, says the partnership is already working for his country but admits Laos can't match Cambodia and Vietnam's contribution.

"For example last year we have an increase of 16 per cent as compared to 2008 and the nine months of 2010 we already recorded a 21 per cent increase in foreign arrivals." "The number of Vietnamese tourists has in increased in Laos, the Chinese has increased in Laos and also the Japanese and Koreans."

"Basically, they know very well Vietnam and Cambodia better than they know Laos." "Myanmar's (Burma) tourism [industry] has I think grown and they seem much more open and also they want to be part of our group." Burma's tourism industry is not even two decades old, and a estimated 750,000 tourists visit annually. Most of the tourism infrastructure is controlled by the military junta, and parts of the country are completely off-limits to visitors.

Tin Tun Aung, from the Union of Myanmar Travel Association says the agreement weighs in Burma's favour.

"We can use more air linkages. We have direct flights to Vietnam already and then we are about to launch to Laos this November. We have to admit that we are lagging but we are catching up."

"We lack infrastructure but we have a beautiful destination - more variety, more diversity...that is our main strong point," he said. Laos, Cambodia, Burma and Vietnam will continue to promote themselves individually, outside of the "Four Countries - One Destination" campaign. The initiative is still its early stages, but it is hoped it will result in better transport links between the four countries' main attractions.

Sourced=radioaustralianews