TO DISCUSS YOUR PROJECT OR LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR SERVICES:

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

ASEAN Destination Tourism Website Mired In Controversy

Category: Tourism, Posted:06 Mar 2010 | 06:00 am

Politics and tourism make strange bedfellows at best but the launch of <link>http://www.southeastasia.org*Southeastasia.org</link> has created controversy by tourism officials in Myanmar. The site offers both destination information, hotel, tourism, cultural and even educational opportunities in the 10 country alliance which consists of Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Brunei, Myanmar and Indonesia.
At the root of the complaint are allegations by the Myanmar contingent that commercial booking engine WEGO.com which operates on the site offering hotel bookings has ownership connections to the global organization New Corp. Concerns have been expressed over Western influenced media involvement which is an outspoken opponent of the current military controlled junta and allegations of human rights abuse. Now the ASEAN Tourism Association has been drawn into the fray back of some NGO funding from USAID for the site.
It's an unfortunate situation as all too often matching Government sponsored tourism initiatives back of the cold hard commercial sensibilities of functioning businesses ultimately lead ventures like the website into virtual 'one trick pony's. All gloss and no commercial viability. Using WEGO as a base to generate a site where you can find destination info, go to a reader forum and then book hotels makes absolute common sense. Though in a nutshell the face remains in Asia that for many marketing initiatives its ultimately best to leave these in the hands of the private sector versus running the risk of running the often precarious gauntlet of Government bureaucracy.

Other News

Read more

New C9 Hotelworks Phuket Hotel and Tourism Report Released

Category: Hotels|Tourism, Posted:05 Feb 2025 | 10:44 am C9 Hotelworks has released its new Phuket Hotel and Tourism Market Review 2025. Phuket’s tourism market in 2024 continues its trajectory toward full recovery, underpinned by significant growth in Russian and Indian arrivals, alongside government-led visa-free travel initiatives. Passenger arrivals for the year reached 8.65 million, reflecting a 23% increase compared to 2023 and just […]
Read more

The C9 Sessions – The Growth of Branded Residences in the Philippines

Category: Real estate, Posted:23 Jan 2025 | 11:33 am Branded residences and mixed-use projects are becoming a significant player in Philippines’s hospitality space. As property developers, real estate investors and property buyers are learning, this is a complex space that requires well-structured projects. Join us for a unique 90-minute learning session about all the moving parts in this rising marketplace. The session will feature […]
Read more

Video Sessions From Thailand Tourism Forum 2025

Category: Hotels|Real estate|Tourism, Posted:22 Jan 2025 | 08:18 am In case you missed the Thailand Tourism Forum 2025 in Bangkok last week or did attend, and want to rewatch some sessions please find video links to all below. The event drew over 1,000 attendees and was the 14th year for TTF. We look forward to returning in 2026, but for now please enjoy the […]
SiaJai logo

Thailand's Leading Homecare Marketplace