ASEAN COMMUNITY OF ENTREPRENEURS
SPOTLIGHT
wider broadband and mobile
network penetration, coupled with
innovative online travel solutions
have also served as enabling factors
that have made traveling more
hassle free. Today’s consumers are
always connected and enjoy making
their travel planning and booking
arrangements online or via their
mobile phones.
Indeed, SMEs in this sector
would be missing out if they do not
take advantage of this development
by having their products listed on
popular travel websites such as
Agoda, Expedia and TripAdvisor,
among others. Social media sites
like Facebook and Instagram are
also must-have business tools
free-wifi service is up to speed and
reliable to avoid negative feedback.
As we desire to develop the
tourism sector further, it is important
to preserve the ASEAN tourism
edge. The World Economic Forum’s
Travel and Tourism Competitive
Survey 2015 reports that nature
and heritage are key competitive
strength of the region’s tourism
sector. The Philippines, Indonesia and
Malaysia are among the world’s 17
countries identified by Conservation
International
as
mega-diverse
countries that harbour a majority of
the Earth’s species as well as a high
number of endemic species.
With tourist arrivals to ASEAN
expected to increase by 123 million
for
promoting
and
engaging
with customers. These two-way
engagement tools are important for
SMEs to monitor online enquiries and
feedbacks and respond to them in a
timely manner.
In the accommodation subsector, today’s travellers place high
importance to reliable Internet
access. The TripAdvisor Global Travel
Economy Report 2015 reveals that
74% file “free-wifi” as a key factor
in deciding their accommodation.
Certainly, the numbers would
be higher among the Gen-Y and
millennial travellers. As people are
increasingly comfortable in sharing
their travel experiences online, it
is also important to ensure that the
International Visitor Arrivals to ASEAN
120
102.2
100
105
89.2
81.2
Millions
80
60
42
43.8
40
38.4
52.8
56
2005
2006
62.3
65.4
65.7
2007
2008
2009
73.8
49.1
20
0
2001 2002
2003
2004
2010
2011
2012
Source: ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan 2016-2025
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ASEAN COMMUNITY OF ENTREPRENEURS | ISSUE 2 : 2016
2013
2014