Swot Analysis Of ASEAN

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats Analysis of ASEAN

The piece below gives an analysis by the Pacific Asia Travel Association of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the tourism industry in the region. A study commissioned by the World Bank to facilitate the integration of the
ASEAN travel and tourism industry in a broader economy has come up with a detailed analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of the status quo. This is the first study of its kind since ASEAN tourism has only been seriously promoted for the past two decades. Thus, its findings have tremendous relevance to other regional and sub-regional groupings as they embark upon similar initiatives. ASEAN’s objective

The region has remained resilient in attracting improved international arrivals, and ministers from ASEAN member countries have expressed the importance of the industry working together toward a common goal. There is a general view, however, that barring some of the internal and external shocks that have affected visitor arrivals, much more can be done to boost visitor arrivals to, within, and from ASEAN. As a result, the World Bank commissioned a Japan-based consultant to conduct a SWOT analysis of the
ASEAN region, particularly in the contexts of promoting an integrated single destination, and developing world-class products.
The findings are as follows, with some slight editing for clarity and with additional information provided by the PATA Strategic Intelligence Centre.

STRENGTHS
• Well-established tourism in member countries: Singapore,
Malaysia, and Thailand already have high annual visitor arrivals.
• Political awareness: The importance of tourism is well recognised among many ASEAN countries, as highlighted through ministerial ASEAN meetings and summits.
• Safety: ASEAN member countries have traditionally been considered safe and visitor-friendly.
• Well-developed business sectors: e.g. Singapore,

India,
Japan, China (PRC) and Australia.
• Develop the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) market.
• Special interest tours: Vietnam, for example, is promoting flower tourism in Japan.
• The ASEAN region is suited to hub travel trends.
• World-class events could be leveraged.
• Two-way tourism could be better promoted.
• Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) tourism: Economic migration within ASEAN countries activates VFR tourism.

THREATS
• Unstable political conditions in some countries impact tourism development.
• Regional crises, e.g. terrorism, avian flu and tsunami, discourage tourism.
• Contagious disease and its media coverage may affect international travel demand.
• Safety and security are not consistent; conversely, unnecessarily negative travel advisories are also troublesome.
• Currency fluctuation continues to be a risk.
• Ongoing ethnic and religious conflicts are potentially problematic. • ASEAN campaigns have not always been highly successful,
e.g. ASEAN hotel and tour ‘passes’.
• Economic and development gaps divide developed countries and least-developed countries in the region.
• Time-consuming transit delays occur between