Singapore most attractive for tourism among ASEAN countries: report

BANGKOK, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Singapore offers the most attractive environment for developing the travel and tourism sector among ten ASEAN member countries, said a report on Wednesday.

According to The ASEAN Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2012 released the day during the Travel, Trade & Tourism Summit held in Bangkok, Singapore is placed highest in terms of in ASEAN as the city-state draws 20 times more tourists per capita and 30 times more receipts per capita than the bloc's average.

It is followed by Malaysia, Thailand and Brunei Darussalam.

Analyzing the strengths of the travel and tourism sector in ASEAN countries, the report also highlights the enormous potential for developing the sector in ASEAN and provides recommendations on how to further unleash the region's potential. The summit comes prior to the World Economic Forum on East Asia, held in Thailand for the first time and themed "Shaping the Region's Future through Connectivity".

"Travel and tourism is not only a critical driver of economic development and social progress. It also represents a formidable factor of regional integration," said Borge Brende, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum. "By improving connectivity and mobility, travel and tourism contributes to creating a regional identity, a sense of 'ASEANness' among citizens."

The report is based on the World Economic Forum's Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI), which ranks 139 economies according to their performance in areas that make investment in developing the travel and tourism sector attractive.

Sourced: Xinhuanet