BANGKOK 20 July 2012: Thailand needs to tap ASEAN’s emerging
middle class convincing them Thailand is a “must-see” destination, Association
of Southeast Asian Nations general secretary, Surin Pitsuwan, told delegates
attending an ASEAN Economic Community 2015 seminar Thursday.
The 10-member countries of ASEAN
attracted 81 million travellers, last year, an increase of 10%
year-on-year, of which 60% were
foreigners and 40% ASEAN citizens.
Mr Surin suggested: “Thailand
should adopt a new model to improve the country quality and competitiveness
instead of using cheap labour and natural resources.”
He told the tourism industry it
needs to seek new partners in the region, create new attractions, activities,
and tour programmes for travellers particularly for repeaters, many of them
ASEAN citizens.
Emphasising the spending power of
a middle class society in the 10-country region, Mr Surin said it was
imperative for Thailand to play catch up.
“On average Thais earn US$4,300
to US$4,500 in income per head per year, which is the rate of a mid-income country
when compared to neighbours Singapore at US$45,000; Brunei US$37,000 to
US$38,000; and Malaysia US$9,400 to US$9,500.”
He was addressing around 200
business executives many of them from the tourism and service sector on the
challenges they will face in the approach to ASEAN Economic Community 2015.
ASEAN in terms of revenue ranked
ninth worldwide in 2011 with over US$80,000 million invested in the region.
Of that investment, 70%
circulated in the services segment mainly to tap ASEAN’s growing middle class
who have strong purchasing power.
“They need more quality of life
and good services, therefore, Thailand needs to find out how to upgrade from a
mid-income country to a higher ranking and achieve a US$10,000 per person per
year income.”
“To do it the country needs to
development research, design, create intellectual property, build new products
and have proper copy right in terms of production to raise the country
competency and get out of the mid-income trap.”
In addition, he recommended that
there should be more cross border investment specifically between SMEs, while
inbound tour operators in the meantime have to adjust themselves and turn to
the outbound market to build intra ASEAN travel.
“This is the real integration of
ASEAN to make the region a single destination,” he said.
He recommended that the Board of
Investment of Thailand should be a leader to survey and study ASEAN member
countries and provide information to Thai tour operators on potential hotel,
tourist attractions and suitable places for investment.
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