Indonesia, Myanmar,
Cambodia, and the Philippines joined forces to initiate a common smart visa
system, in an effort to enhance tourism and foster economic growth in the
region.
Ministers and tourism authorities from the four Asean
countries gathered on June 5 at the 22nd World Economic Forum on East Asia
taking place in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. At the event, the “Statement of Intent on
Smart Visa” was signed by relevant government agencies to acknowledge the
collaborative plan.
The common ‘Smart Visa’ scheme will be the first
global implementation of its kind involving many countries.
The Smart Visa scheme is expected to boost growth of
the national and regional tourism sectors in line with the social and economic
integration of the Asean Economic Community in 2015.
This initiative was built on the single visa programme
for tourism travelling between Camdodia and Thailand, which was implemented on
January 1, 2013. The effort would also benefit non-Asean nationals visiting the
region.
“By recognizing the importance of the connectivity in
tourism activities, the statement of intent expresses our desire to give a
boost to the tourism sector by facilitating the movement of tourists across
borders; by going towards a smart visa through adopting best practices; and
maximizing the use of technology to reduce the inefficiencies of the
traditional visa application process,” Philippine Department of Tourism
secretary Ramon R Jimenez Jr said.
Apart from promoting tourism across the region, the
Smart Visa is also expected to foster investments in the respective industry as
well as job creation.
The Smart Visa is a digital paperless substitute for a
traditional visa and it can be provided by travel agents or participating
airline at the time of making a travel reservation. It can be obtained through
an Internet portal or mobile devices.
The first smart visa was introduced by the Australian
government in 1996 as part of fostering the Sydney 2000 Olympics when the
government needed to process large volumes of visa applications during that
period. It was called an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA).
The success of the Australian smart visa system gave
birth to similar initiatives in Armenia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Cambodia, and
most recently in Sri Lanka.
Thanya Kunakornpaiboonsiri
Business & Investment Opportunities Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd (SBC) is incorporated in Singapore since 1994. As Your Business Companion, we propose a range of services in Strategy, Investment and Management, focusing Health care and Life Science with expertise in ASEAN 's area. We are currently changing the platform of www.yourvietnamexpert.com, if any request, please, contact directly Dr Christian SIODMAK, business strategist, owner and CEO of SBC at christian.siodmak@gmail.com. Many thanks.
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