Asean countries need common SOP to restart tourism in the region

A common set of SOP is important for tourism recovery in the Asean region. — FLORIAN WEHDE/Unsplash

While we won’t know for sure when borders will fully reopen, a grim certainty is that it can be a complicated affair when international travel does resume. Governments around the world have implemented their respective standard operating procedures (SOP) to combat the coronavirus.

Planning your travel while taking into account the various restrictions in place can be a bane, travel experts cautioned.

This is why having a common set of SOP is so important for tourism recovery, said industry experts during a panel discussion at the Halal In Travel Global Summit 2021.

“Developed and developing countries have different standards (for travel). This is one thing that always gave our travel consultants a headache,” said Association of the Travel Agencies in Indonesia (Astindo) chairperson Pauline Suharno.

Suharno was speaking at a forum entitled Strategies And Plan For The Revival Of The Tourism Industry In ASEAN.

“Nowadays when people need to travel abroad, they need to show their PCR test result, right? Different countries and different airlines all have their own criteria,” she explained.

According to Suharno, Indonesia requires a digital QR-coded report while Cambodia needs a hard copy letter with original signature and clinic stamp when it comes to PCR test results.

She also pointed out that each country has its own digital travel passport app.

“Why don’t we in the Asean region, encourage our own government to use worldwide known applications like the IATA Travel Pass? Travellers then won’t need to download so many applications,” she said.

Asean comprises 10 countries in South-East Asia, including Malaysia.

Suharno’s call for common SOP was also reiterated by Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Mohamed Ismail Hussain.

“Asean needs to be a common ground (where) everybody can share the same policies and the same standards,” he said.

Intra-Asean travel has been an important segment for countries in South-East Asia, making up 44% of arrivals in the last decade.

Asean Tourism Association (ASEANTA) president Eddy Soemawilaga said the intra-Asean market is expected to be even more important post-pandemic.

“The close neighbour (travellers) is actually the easiest source of market that we can tap into because we understand the market better, not only from the travel industry point of view but also from the government point of view,” he said.

According to Soemawilaga, leaders in the region had agreed to set up the Asean Travel Corridor Arrangement in November 2020. However, the terms of reference have not been completed.

Astindo’s Suharno said governments, especially in the Asean region, should step up, and share a common vision of mitigating and recovering their tourism sector. – Chester Chin