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CHATRUDEE THEPARAT
Asean members have agreed to postpone the liberalisation of services in the tourism industry, now struggling due to high oil prices.
At a senior officials' meeting held from July 8-9, the bloc agreed to Thailand's proposal to put off the deadline for liberalisation of tourism services from 2010.
The agreement will be endorsed when Asean tourism ministers meet in Thailand in January next year, according to Sasithara Pichaichannarong, the permanent secretary of the Tourism and Sports Ministry.
Under the framework, Asean members need to liberalise the movements of human resources in six sectors including front-office staff, maids, housekeepers, food and beverage workers, transportation and tour operators.
Once it takes effect, employees in the tourism sector can move freely among member countries. As a result, the bloc needs to agree on common standards for the industry's human resources and upgrade staff to meet those standards.
For its part, the Thai private sector hailed the delay as it faces more hardships from oil prices expected to remain high until next year.
Ms Sasithara said that although liberalisation was put on hold, Thailand's human-resource development in tourism would continue in order to strengthen the industry's competitiveness.
She said the ministry planned to ask the cabinet soon to establish an institution to develop and improve the standards of human resources in the industry. The institute would be supervised by the Tourism and Sports Ministry.
Meanwhile, the deadline for providing visa-free access among Asean members would be kept at the original schedule of 2010 to promote intra-Asean tourism. The bloc also plans a single visa for non-Asean visitors later to boost regional tourism.
Intra-Asean tourism was expected to see healthy growth this year and next because high oil prices have led tourists to look closer to home. Currently, Thai citizens are allowed to travel visa-free to Asean countries except for Burma and Cambodia. Better highway networks will encourage more travelling among Asean countries, said Ms Sasithara.
In 2007, some 60 million tourists visited Asean countries, up 11% from 2006. Thailand ranked second, behind Malaysia, in terms of the overall number of arrivals.
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