Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Tourism in ASEAN Region: Threats and Opportunities

Copyright © 2009 by Chester B Cabalza. All Rights Reserved.

This paper was presented by Chester Cabalza, MA in the 1st UP Conference on Tourism and Hospitality last February 23-24, 2009 organized by the UP-AIT and Tourism Foundation, Inc. at SEAMEO INNOTECH, Diliman, Quezon City.

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I. Introduction

The study aims to understand the various threats and opportunities to the Tourism and Travel (T&T) industry in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) region especially that there is a stiff competition in the tourism market around the world. The perception that Southeast Asia has lost its lackluster should need to reinvent policies in the services sector particularly on how to sustain the massive contribution of tourism industry to the gross domestic product (GDP) of ASEAN economies. This is also to recognize that ASEAN tourism receipts are equivalent to almost ten percent of exports and five percent of regional economic activity.

Southeast Asia is home to heterogeneous cultures and diverse ecosystem. The region also houses developing and newly industrializing countries led by Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines that massively promote its own tourism as brands to the world. It is important to study the emerging tourism and travel industry within the region because of the fast and relevant economic activities undergoing in ASEAN, hosting major aviation and maritime hubs in this corner of the globe, where foreign tourists and investors come to visit beautiful places of the region.

ASEAN also plays as a strong actor, being one of the oldest regional organizations in the world. Thus, the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) was created to cohesively promote inter and intra tourismic activity in Southeast Asia.

The fact that peninsular and insular parts of the region is gifted with bountiful tourist destinations like white beaches, mountain havens, tropical forests, underground rivers, marine sanctuaries, Buddhist temples, Catholic churches, Muslim mosques and prehistoric ruins. However, ASEAN is still perpetuated with several anticipated and impeding threats and sensitive issues that challenge the prime position of tourism industry. More so, it also drives the region’s competitiveness especially in the age of globalization where each country within Southeast Asia can now showcase the rich culture and natural resources it possesses to other citizens of the world.

Hence, in the succeeding flow of the research, several variables would be discussed, forming the main threats and opportunities that may impede the pace of the tourism industry in the region, following several contentions.

Despite the world’s looming economy since mid-2008 and amidst a lingering second round of Great Depression in succeeding years, T&T industry is certainly hurt by the continuing recession. It can, however, be prescribe that the region should remain calm after its decade’s recuperation from the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis that started in Thailand. Because of that excruciating experience, countries in the region are expected to either remain resilient or gamble, in spite of the periodic effects of financial crunch today and in the future, which threatens the booming tourism industry around the region. Therefore, preventive measures for the tourism industry should be suggested to avoid such decrease of tourists in times of economic meltdown.

Furthermore, another tangible problem that was and still seen to hit the tourism industry of ASEAN would be security issues such as natural and man-made disasters where ASEAN region is geologically situated in a ring of fire and threatened by bands of terrorist. The case in point are the Muslim secessionist groups in several Southeast Asian countries and communist terrorists particularly in the Philippines who recently use tourist spots and recreation to further their political and religious aims. For example, terrorism has caught international limelight across the world where the region’s maritime tourist destinations are quite unsafe. Natural disasters are undeniably recurring yet devastating such as tsunamis and earthquakes, which would root havoc catastrophes in many disaster-prone beaches and cities, where most tourists rest and recreate.

More so, epidemics such as avian flu and AIDS, likewise, have contracted many travelers around the region, frightening regional governments to safeguard its people and tourists from further contagion of these communicable diseases.

The alarming effects of climate change have led ASEAN governments to a sudden realization that there is a call for to properly conserve and safeguard deteriorating natural resources. Championed by massive campaigns of influential environmentalists and other non-government organizations (NGOs) to invest on the ecological importance of the diverse flora and fauna, as well as, the heterogeneous cultures of Southeast Asia. The need to map out favorable tourismic programs that would suit to the current global issues and concerns in conserving the rich ecology and living cultures of the region.

However, to some critics of this sunrise industry, tourism boom has only led to environmental and social problems, such as pollution, deforestation, child prostitution, drug trafficking, and socially transmitted diseases. Sex tours for Japanese and Chinese tourists have been reported in the Philippines and Indonesia. Prostitution is legitimate in Thailand. Opium and heroin trafficking in the region’s Golden Triangle has become an international concern.

Hence, it can be inferred that tourism market in Southeast Asia has constantly been challenged by enduring threats that sometimes have turned out to be good opportunities. This is attested through the Chinese symbol of crisis, spinning threats into opportunities.

Meanwhile, the positive side of tourism industry in the ASEAN region could be embraced by the sudden importance of promoting ecotourism and ethnic tourism, despite its sensitivity and infancy to the T&T industry. Based from studies, these twin tourismic programs will surely increase tourism receipts to the region, given the region’s inherent natural bounty and distinct smiling people, benefiting a multi-billion dollar industry.

Part of the program, is also the prominence of ‘bird’ tourism, where migratory birds are believed to be good indicators of environmental health and biodiversity.

To augment tourism receipts and reverse the brain drain among health practitioners in the region, particularly in the Philippines, a new trend has begun in luring the burgeoning market of Medical Tourism (MT). In was reported, however, a decade ago MT was hardly large enough to be noticed, but now patients from developed countries come to the region because of equally state-of-the-art facilities, competent physicians, hospitable health staffs, lower expenses in major operations, and greater access to more scenic tropical sights.


II. Formation of the ASEAN Tourism Forum

ASEAN was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok by the five original member countries, namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. In 8 January 1984, Brunei Darussalam joined the regional grouping. Then, Vietnam became an official member on 28 July 1995 paving the way for Laos and Myanmar to enter ASEAN on 23 July 1997. Lastly to complete the list, Cambodia was admitted on 30 April 1999.

Tourism cooperation was formalized in 1976 when the ASEAN Committee on Trade and Tourism set up a sub-committee to deal exclusively with the sector. Initiating promotions, marketing and research, and its achievements included the annual ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) that started in 1981.

In 1988, six-member countries of the ASEAN signed a Tourism Agreement with an aim of undertaking promotional activities and vitalizing travel from and among ASEAN member countries. This is to recognize that ASEAN tourism receipts were equivalent to almost 10 percent of exports and five percent of regional economic activity.

Today, the tourism industry in the ASEAN region has constantly been ranked as one of the best tourist destinations in the world. More so, in promoting the ASEAN Tourism, a new brand has been dubbed for the entire region as “Asia’s Perfect Ten Paradise”.


III. Main Threats and Opportunities to the Tourism Industry in the ASEAN Region


The growth of the Chinese and Indian economies is drawing in resources from Southeast Asia and creating competition particularly in service industries like tourism. However, transformation is a hallmark of post-World War II economic development in Southeast Asia. Generally, the ASEAN region has varying market economies and each country in the region has peculiar assets and resources that will indeed boost tourism receipts.

A threat can be construed as an indication of impending danger or harm. One that is regarded as a possible danger or a menace. On the other hand, an opportunity is a favorable or advantageous circumstance or combination of circumstances. A chance for progress or advancement.


Threats

A. Impacts of Global Financial Crisis to ASEAN’s Tourism Industry

Tourism is recognized as one of the major engines for socio-economic development and sustainability in most countries of the ASEAN. However, economic crisis can indeed affect the tourism industry by massive lay-off of workers in tourism-related businesses and decreasing hotel room occupancy. A case in point is the 1997-1998 East Asian financial crisis, which had become a serious problem that slightly harmed the tourism industry in the region, decreasing visitor arrivals in succeeding year.

But ten years after, another returning fiscal threat has been challenging the tourism industry within the region, courtesy of the global financial crisis. Early signs of the financial crunch was sighted in the United States, thus admittedly, a portion of American travelers in the region decreased, hitting once more the sunrise industry of tourism. Apparently, there are speculations that hoteliers are experiencing significant downturn in the hotel and resort occupancy or rate of room reservations in best-loved beaches in Bali, Boracay, Langkawi, and Phuket.

Hence, tourism leaders show signs of skepticism, attributing to the current global crisis, since the core tourism markets from the United States, Europe, Australia, and the rest of Asia feel less inclined to travel in 2008 and 2009.

However, this year, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has forecast a negative two percent to zero growth for the Asia-Pacific region that includes ASEAN countries with international tourism stagnating by two percent due to the worsening global financial crisis. However, UNWTO recently rated the Philippine tourism campaign as the best-improved in Asia with a 10.6 percent annual growth rate, the highest in Southeast Asia surpassing the 7 percent increase of tourist traffic in the Asia-Pacific region (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 2009).

B. Recurring Natural and Man-made Disasters

In terms of major threats to the tourism industry in ASEAN, natural catastrophes such as tsunamis, super typhoons, earthquakes, and man-made disasters like terrorism and seperatism, are certainly inevitable threats but can also be mitigated. Thus, the basic answer to these problems is to create and properly implement contingency plans for those hazards, which can present situations that are common across the spectrum of emergencies. In effect, specific hazards can pose sets of problems that must be dwelt as well.

To cite an example, the South Asian Tsunami in 2004, caught the attention of policy-makers in the region, and immediately after the tragic catastrophe, the ASEAN Tourism Ministers drafted an important agreement called, The Langkawi Declaration on “Shifting Paradigm – Prospering the Region”. They expressed their profound sorrow over the great loss of lives and properties from the earthquake and tsunami disaster and reaffirm their solidarity in assisting affected countries to rebuild their economies and accelerate the reconstruction and restoration of the tourism industry in the region.

Consequently, it was believed that tourism not only contributes to climate change that inevitably causes natural disasters, but is affected by it as well. Climate change is likely to increase the severity and frequency of storms and severe weather events, which can have disastrous effects on tourism in the affected countries. Some of the other impacts that the world risks as a result of global warming are drought, diseases and heat waves. Therefore, these recurring and sometimes unforeseen natural disasters are major threats to the tourism industry if not well mitigated by governments in the region.

Meanwhile, Vorobieva (2002) deems that terrorism is a multi-faceted phenomenon. It contains political, legal, psychological, philosophical, historical, technological and other components.

The recent terrorist attacks on popular tourist spots suggest that tourism has been used as scapegoats for expressing greater political, cultural, religious and social aims. To cite a few but high-profile actions of Muslim terrorist groups such as the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), these include the following, namely, the Sipadan-Sulu hostage crisis on 2000, Dos Palmas kidnapping on 2001, Bali bombing on 2002, Jakarta JW Marriott Hotel bombing on 2004, Bali bombing II on 2004, Superferry bombing on 2004, the Valentine bombing in Makati on 2005, and Zamboanga bombing on 2006.

Because of rampant terrorist activities of these bandits, only in 2002, the ASEAN Tourism Ministers gathered together, made an historic action, and singed the “Declaration on Tourism Safety and Security”. This is to recognize the importance of tourism as a significant industry in the promotion of economic benefits and social unity, which among others, provides job opportunities. This urged their call that terrorism is a direct challenge to tourism development in the region and finally reiterated their commitment to work in close partnership to build travelers’ confidence and endorse peace and stability through tourism.

C. Challenges of Climate Change

Since the introduction of the jet aircraft in the early 1960s, Southeast Asia has emerged as one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in the world. Thus, impacting tourism as a source of change in the economy, environment, and society that varies widely across the region, with some areas receiving proportionately far tourists while others are completely unaffected by them (Din and Chairholder, 2005).

But air travel itself is a major contributor to the greenhouse effect. Passenger jets are the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions. The number of international travelers is expected to increase from 594 million in 1996 to 1.6 billion by 2020, adding greatly to the problem unless steps are taken to reduce emissions, based from World Wildlife Fund (WWF) report. However, according to a recent research carried out by the UNWTO (2007), carbon dioxide emissions from international tourism including all forms of transport like airplanes accounted for just under 5% of the world total. Emissions from tourism are far below many sectors, however, apart from transport emissions, tourism is a relatively clean activity.

A fact that Southeast Asia is known worldwide for its biodiversity, environmentalists and scientists are worried that climate change would certainly affect the loss of biodiversity, without proper action and misguided programs on ecotourism. Furthermore, nature tourism is closely linked to biodiversity and the attractions created by a rich and varied environment. It can also cause loss of biodiversity when land and resources are strained by excessive use, and when impacts on vegetation, wildlife, mountain, marine and coastal environments and water resources exceed the carrying capacity. This loss of biodiversity in fact means loss of tourism potential.

WWF even contest that climate change would threaten food supplies, opportunities for recreation and tourism, sources of wood, medicines and energy. It also interferes with essential ecological functions such as species balance, soil formation, and greenhouse gas absorption. Finally, it destabilizes ecosystems and weakens its ability to deal with natural disasters such as floods, droughts, and hurricanes, and with human-caused stresses, such as pollution and climate change.
Hence, not all ecosystems and human settlements are equally sensitive to changes in climate. Countries in the region still vary in their relative vulnerability to changes in temperature, precipitation and extreme weather events and their ability to cope with such changes.


Opportunities

A. Prospects of Ecotourism and Ethnic Tourism


Tourism undeniably provides substantial contribution to the local, national as well as the global economy. The nature, type, and scope of tourism destinations have been developing and evolving into more exciting forms that conventional tourism management find it hard to implement tougher environmental requirements needed for sustainable tourism development. According to World Trade and Tourism Organization (WTTO), sustainable tourism development should meet the needs of the present and host regions while protecting and enhancing opportunities for the future.

The impact of tourism on environment and local cultures, however, need not always be negative. Environmental and cultural sensitivity can be, and should be, integrated into regular tourism programs. Such is the case of ecotourism and ethnic tourism. Because of these alternative itineraries, tourists not only visit the best resorts and shopping malls but also appreciate ecological landscapes and immersion within local communities.

In the Philippines, one successful strategy in promoting ecotourism and ethnic tourism would be the ‘jungle survival’ in Subic. The Subic Bay is a former U.S. naval base transformed into a promising economic hub with preserved primary forests and deep natural harbor. In the jungle survival package, the Agtas, an indigenous Negrito group teaches tourists basic techniques in jungle survival. The Subic Metropolitan Bay Authority (SMBA), the governing body of this booming economic zone, has seen potential commodity using indigenous knowledge by promoting ecotourism and ethnic tourism folded into one. This strategy, in a way, has helped preserve Agta’s traditional culture as well as conserving the ecosystem while selling it as hot items among tourists.

Of course, government plays a major role in determining which places for ecotourism and groups of people for ethnic tourism can be recommended for tourists. Wood (1997) believes that the material sources to reconstruct ritual traditions for tourist consumption has become one of the main factors in selecting appropriate areas for international tourism.

So far, the attraction of ethnic tourism for tourists is based on a conceptualization of the ‘Other’ [Budiwanti, (org. Maunti, 2002)], especially in Third World countries, when people of host countries may see an opportunity to exploit this western fascination of the ‘Other’. External forces like the tourists, through programs such as ecotourism and ethnic tourism seem to turn indigenous cultures as commodities, although, sometimes this has strengthened the creation of new forms of identity.

It is said that while the immediate concern will always be the number of jobs created or lost, and revenues generated or forgone, the less immediate effects, such as environmental and cultural deterioration or revitalization, and the erosion of community identity and cohesion, will require careful and costly studies in concert with broadened public discourse to allow for better appreciation of the significance of tourism among industry insiders and the community at large.

In addition, (Edmons & Leposky, 1998) with the emergence of ecotourism and ethnic tourism in Southeast Asia as ways of promoting heterogeneous cultures and rich flora and fauna, consequently, other interesting packages competing in the market, particularly holiday ownership and timesharing, are also contributory to the development of economic activities through tourism. Experts deem that holiday ownership adds value to a sustainable ecotourismic enterprise in two ways while timeshare exchange has the potential to attract timeshare visitors from all parts of the world to ecotourismic resorts.

B. Prominence of Bird Tourism

Based from the study of the Haribon Foundation, they found out that the Philippines and other countries in the Southeast Asia can be tapped for sanctuaries for “bird” tourism because of migratory birds from cold countries passing by the tropical islands of Southeast Asia.

In the report based from the Birdlife International’s Agenda, bird watching potential in the Philippines using biodiversity for ecotourism programs should be explored as another alternative package for the mushrooming tourism industry in the country and the region as well.

However, it is a fact that there are over 10,000 bird species in the world. One in eight of the world’s birds or 1,211 species faces extinction and one third of globally threatened birds are found in Asia. The birds are also used as good indicators of environmental health and biodiversity. Birds are found almost everywhere in the world but the density of globally threatened birds in the world is uneven.

On the other hand, biodiversity is becoming a rare commodity that can be used to attract nature tourists. In fact, some countries including forested Southeast Asia are particularly important for globally threatened species because 64% of globally threatened species are threatened by unsustainable forestry. Birds are found in all major habitats but forest is particularly important.

Hence, there are more than 7,500 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in the world and over 2000 are found in Asia while 117 are found in the Philippines. Birds are also found in coastal areas and wetlands. Migrating birds know no boundaries. Given this data, today birdwatchers are the largest of all nature-watching groups worldwide since 78 million birdwatchers traveled and spent US$78 million in one year.

Thus, to sum it up, bird watching or experiencing nature in the wild has good potential in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, as a whole. This could be used to explore the use of flagship species and for ecotourism promotion and product development.

C. Conjectures of Medical Tourism


Medical Tourism (MT) also known as medical travel or health tourism can be broadly defined as a health holiday along with a provision for ‘cost effective’ private medical care in collaboration with the tourism industry for patients needing surgical and/or other forms of specialized treatment. It combines wellness and healthcare alongside leisure and relocation aimed at rejuvenating a person – mentally, physically and emotionally.

Ten years ago medical tourism was hardly heard of. Now, countries in Southeast Asia like the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia are growing as destinations for medical tourism because of world-class physicians and modern technology, with procedures delivered at a fraction of the cost of those in developed countries. These countries have excellent hospitals and stand-alone specialty clinics.

Looking at the ASEAN picture today, more than 250,000 patients per year visit Singapore alone - nearly half of them come from the Middle East. On the other hand, Thailand specializes on cosmetic surgery and dental treatments. Other in-demand procedures like eye surgery, kidney dialysis and organ transplantation are also among the most common procedures sought by medical vacationers in Southeast Asia. For a few patients, Phuket has another attraction as well, the Bangkok Phuket Hospital is the premier place to go for sex-change surgery. In fact, that is one of the top 10 procedures for which patients visit Thailand.


III. Conclusion

The fact that tourism is known to be the world’s largest industry to date especially in the age of globalization, promoting ASEAN as a single destination would mean a stronger cooperation and higher tourism receipts among member states. Furthermore, the ASEAN Tourism Forum plays an advantage to the region in giving quality tourism to tourists, sharing camaraderie and cooperation in times of crises, which would challenge the booming tourism industry in Southeast Asia.

Enmeshed in increasing interconnections of trade and travel of people in Southeast Asia and the world, in case of unanticipated financial crisis, emerging industries like tourism services would indeed be affected. Prescriptions are made such as massive bailouts from developed economies, which have also affected least developed countries, but still, T&T will survive and continuously will grow. Consequently, the increase in economic activities due to tourism investments in Southeast Asia’s tourist spots have served well to the escalation of construction services and direct employment in tourism services.

As more and more people from different societies and cultures come into contact with one another. National barriers are breaking down and new formation of geopolitics is moving on because of new developments and events in the world. This has been coupled with the lifting of travel restrictions in many parts of the world, such as in the case of ASEAN’s implementation of a visa-free policy among its member states.

In terms of natural and man-made disasters, most experts today advocate a comprehensive “all hazards” approach to emergency preparedness. The need for contingency plans that take into account potential natural, technological, and man-made threats to the advancement of well-deserved tourism services. These well-thought contingencies for tourism safety and security can ultimately help save lives, reduce property loss, as well as lessen the region’s tourism industry’s potential liability.

To contain the challenges of climate change in the region, ASEAN countries must encourage researchers and scientists to conduct further biological study or inventory of wildlife resources to serve as basis in the formulation of sound management policies for conservation and sustainable resource utilization. Southeast Asia’s biological megadiversity is very high in terms of species richness, ecosystem and biodiversity. It is also recommended that more protected areas should be safeguarded in the region and enforce rigid national or local environmental laws.

On the other hand, in terms of opportunities, the popularity of ecotourism and ethnic tourism around the region, attest that there are alternative and common tourism programs that these ten-countries of the ASEAN can offer, aside from its famed heterogeneous culture and cuisines.

A good tourism development plan must preserve the overall quality of the environment and tourist resources that will allow them to be used in the future. The planning and management of tourist development must not trigger serious ecological or socio-cultural problems. The attraction of area should be maintained to continue the level of tourist satisfaction that will sustain commercial potential of the area and ultimately benefiting all the members of the community. It is therefore imperative that with increasing activities on various tourist destinations will require the cooperation of all stakeholders in the community.

To promote bird watching in the region, Important Bird Areas (IBAs) must be thoroughly identified first since there are abundant bird species in Southeast Asia. To endorse bird watching as additive ecotourism promotion and product development. At the same time, killing migratory birds and endangered bird species must be stopped. Lastly, to conduct reforestation activities to promote biodiversity since birds are also used as good indicators of environmental health and biodiversity.

Nevertheless, despite MT’s emergence there seems to be a problem on alleviating it through proper policy-making. First, the healthcare industry has some inherent drawbacks. It lacks standardization in medical care and cost, insufficient regulatory mechanism, and infrastructural bottlenecks or poor medical insurance coverage. The immediate need is the establishment of health and tourism players’ consortium to discuss about all issues and maintain closer interaction and coordination to develop medical tourism in the region – another growth engine for investments.

Furthermore, in promoting the ASEAN tourism, a new brand has been dubbed for the entire region as “Asia’s Perfect Ten Paradise”. Thus far, the outlook of the region’s tourism share in the world tourism industry must be given more attention to attract numerous tourists worldwide.

The region is now at the crossroads of achieving higher tourism receipts since some countries are competitively outsourcing tourists and travelers to come to its specific countries. There is still a need to upgrade airports and seaports to meet international standards and compete globally. There is a need to continuously safeguard major tourist attractions from environmental degradation, discover more potentially attractive tourist sites, and market tourist destinations in other untapped countries should be opened up.

According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), sustainable tourism development should prepare from the cyclical threats and meet the needs while protecting and enhancing opportunities for the future enrichment of countries within Southeast Asia.
Hence, we can expect an increasing and/or decreasing rate of tourist visits into the region unless certain policies pertaining with those threats and opportunities must be talked about and realized. As this trend continues, several transformations are likely to occur in the cultures of the region. This time, however, the peoples of Southeast Asia have the choice of what course of change to take in. They also have the choice of what type of tourism programs to encourage and implement.

Obviously, there are more questions than answers on the threats and opportunities in the tourism industry in the ASEAN region. It is hoped that this paper will pave way for other students and scholars of tourism to pursue similar researches on the safety and security of tourism and its related fields.


References

Budiwanti, E., (2002). Culture and Globalization and the Maintenance of Local Identity: A Case Study of the Wetu Sasak, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, in Aguilar, Carmencita, ed. Political Culture and Globalization, pp.181-187, Quezon City, Philippines.

Cabalza, C., (2006). The State of Regional Tourism in Southeast Asia, paper presentation, 2nd Graduate Students' Conference, Asian Center, University of the Philippines.

Din, Abdul K., and Razak, Abdul T., (2005). Tourism in Southeast Asia: Local, Regional and Cross-cultural perspective, Ohio University (conference sponsored Center for International Studies).

Edmons, J., and Leposky, G., (2004). Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Development in Southeast Asia, Florida: Florida International University Press.

Mishev, P. and Milkana M., (2008). Climate Change Impacts on Tourism, International Conference on Global Environmental Change: Challenges to Science and Society,” 19-21 May 2008, Sofia, Bulgaria, http://global-change.meteo.bg/conference_en.htm

Vorobieva, L., (2002). International Co-operation in the Fight Against Terrorism, in Noor, E., and Hassan, M., (eds.), Terrorism: Perspective for the Asia Pacific. 11th Meeting of the CSCAP Working Group on Comprehensive and Co-operative Security, Malaysia: Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS).

Wood, R., (1997). Tourism and the State: Ethnic Options and Construction of Otherness, in Picard, M. and Wood, R., (eds.), Tourism, Ethnicity, and the State in Asian and Pacific Societies, Honolulu, University of Hawaii.


Websites

ASEAN Tourism, http://www.asean-tourism.com

Philippine Daily Inquirer, http://www.inq7.net

Medical Tourism, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_tourism

World Wildlife Fund, http://www.worldwildlife.org

World Travel and tourism Council, http://www.wttc.org

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