News
Regional Perspectives | Asia and the Pacific
ASEANTA, the umbrella trade association for the 10 ASEAN countries has proposed the introduction of ‘green corridors’ within the region to encourage “risk-free travel between major destinations”. This proposal includes standardizing COVID-19 screening and quarantine procedures for travelers across the ASEAN area. The call was made during a meeting of the ASEAN National Tourism Organization’s mid-terms meeting held on the 14 October to review the ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan (2016-2025) in which the regional bloc’s culture is an important feature.
30 October 2020
Last update:20 April 2023
Southeast Asia has rich and diverse set of natural and tangible and intangible cultural tourism resources located in both rural and urban areas. The region’s 11 natural and 17 cultural heritage sites inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List highlight and reflect its unique heritage. Enmeshed with its natural heritage is a rich and diverse endemic ethnic culture with overlays of Arab, Chinese, Indian, and European influences. Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Christian religious traditions, and vernacular architecture, music, literature, and indigenous knowledge enrich the region and add to the appeal of its outstanding natural heritage, its rural landscapes, and its vibrant urban centers. (ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan (2016-2025)
The Centre for Strategic and International Studies published in September a report entitled "". The report examines the resilience of the Indo-Pacific creative sector, as well as its 'soft power' dimension. It concludes that "creative industries in the Indo-Pacific region demonstrates significant resilience and proves the central role of creative industries in driving the global recovery from Covid-19. The creative economy provides countries with a key source of soft power as it serves as a conduit for association and cultural connection, which are increasingly important in a socially distanced world."
