Lee Xin Ling Carine
Jakarta Globe
08 June 2021
Indonesia steps up once again to realign the council’s direction, highlighting the need for close collaboration within ASEAN to kickstart ASEAN’s tourism industry.
Following the 37th ASEAN summit, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo faithfully expressed, “I warmly welcome that at this summit, we will issue an ASEAN Declaration on an ASEAN TCA (Travel Corridor Agreement) Framework”. Jokowi then stressed on the importance of international collaboration to realise this plan, calling for health protocols and other measures to build travellers’ confidence.
To date, we have begun to see this plan rolling out into action; the first of which includes the establishment of a travel corridor agreement with Singapore, inviting eligible travellers to travel to and fro between Indonesia and Singapore.
The effects of COVID-19 have certainly been far-reaching, but perhaps, the sector most notably affected is the tourism industry. In fact, in 2020, only 3.65 million tourists were recorded to have visited Indonesia from January to September. The figures have plummeted by 71 percent as compared to that of the previous year, with a recorded number of 12.10 million.
There is an urgent need for Indonesia to find a sustainable solution for our crippling tourism industry. Indonesia is currently actively seizing opportunities to invest in their tourism industry so as to promote the recovery of their economy. The TCA is indeed one opportune project that has the potential to set ASEAN’s tourism industry back on track, offering the countries involved a chance to rejuvenate their tourism industry and their respective economies.
There is no doubt that efforts to sustain the ASEAN tourism industry through this tumultuous time requires the full commitment of governments towards a common cause. Jokowi too has hoped that “the ASEAN TCA can be operational in the first quarter of the next year (2021)”, emphasising that “Our people cannot wait any longer. They want to see our region get(s) up immediately,” (Jokowi, 2020).
However, it seems that despite his initial optimism, ASEAN has yet to instate this “Travel Corridor” initiative. This leads us to wonder why a project of such magnitude is being put on hold.
It seems as though several ASEAN countries have breached the topic with extreme caution. The delegate of the Philippines claimed that “international tourism is an extremely risky move”, confessing his hesitancy on moving forth with the ASEAN Travel Corridor Agreement. The delegate of Vietnam echoed similar sentiments, sounding that “Vietnam is rather cautious and conservative when it comes to normalising trans-national travelling”.
She does make a point there, “(Vietnam), as a heavily-populated and developing country”, like the Philippines and, would understandably be more reserved in their attitude towards the opening of borders.
With the looming threat of a third wave of the virus, some ASEAN governments would likely prioritise looking inwards domestically for solutions as opposed to bridging the gap between countries for a more communal effort to revitalise ASEAN’s tourism industry. With the hesitance of countries in ASEAN, this makes for a perpetual roadblock in ASEAN’s journey towards their TCA dream .
In reality, this is a reflection of a short-term strategy versus a long-term investment. As important as it is to focus on the domestic market, it is however, extremely impractical to neglect the critical part that international tourists play in supporting ASEAN’s tourism industry. Ever since 2000, tourism receipts have been climbing steadily and it has since then, established itself as an integral part of ASEAN’s economy. It would hence be unwise to delay the opening of TCA for long.
Perhaps the most viable solution should be to focus on how the region should work together to move conducively towards the TCA arrangement. While the TCA does aim to eventually open Indonesia’s borders to all countries in ASEAN, it may not be practical to rush into this setup immediately. There have been calls from the developing countries of ASEAN to focus on a regional framework first before moving forth with the “travel corridors”. This is certainly valid, after all, the current COVID-19 situation differs across the archipelago. The travel bubble should not be a “one size fits all” approach as it could lead to a compromise on the safety of the ASEAN’s citizens.
For countries with the virus still running rampant, it would perhaps be a better choice to work on building up traveller confidence. Travellers must feel safe throughout their journey in order to reassure their faith in the ASEAN tourism industry. This means that the enhancement of ASEAN’s health system is of utmost importance.
This can be accomplished through increased levels of sanitation and digitalisation of tourist spots to reduce human contact. For example, virtual kiosks for check-ins in airports as well as automated e-gates and the integration of biometrics into the ‘contactless’ journey throughout airports. On this topic, the “+6” of the ASEAN council have readily offered their support to invest in ASEAN’s move towards digitalisation and the implementation of healthcare infrastructure, allowing for a more rapid transition towards the TCA.
As for countries who have been more successful in their efforts towards containing the spread of COVID-19, they should look towards seeking out opportunities for travel corridors between two countries. An extension of the Singapore-Indonesia Travel Corridor would be the most ideal situation. Bridging on an ongoing arrangement, other countries who are seeking out chances for a travel corridor can also take steps to seek out a three-way agreement. This would eventually lead to an inter-connected ASEAN community for the eventual introduction of the TCA.
The result of the Singapore-Indonesia Travel Corridor is an indication of a step in the right direction. However, perhaps the ASEAN Council should begin to consider if conversation alone is enough to spur the region to close the gap between their goal of the TCA and the respective countries’ wants. More so, an effective framework should be carefully considered in other to pick up pace and ensure that our region’s tourism industry can be up and running in no time. I hence urge ASEAN members to do more than just work as individuals but rather, work in solidarity to give our tourism industry, and hence our economy its much needed boost amidst these turbulent times. Maybe then, can we see more than a bleak future for the successful implementation of the TCA .
Is the Travel Corridor between Indonesia and Singapore a promising start, or the crushing end of the TCA?
References:
Pitakdumrongkit, K. (2020, December 17). ASEAN’s perspective on economic recovery. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2020/12/17/aseans-perspective-on-economic-recovery/
Jokowi Urges Asean to Open Travel Bubble by March 2021. (2020, November 12). Jakarta Globe. https://jakartaglobe.id/news/jokowi-urges-asean-to-open-travel-bubble-by-march-2021/
Indonesia-Singapore Travel Corridor to Open for Applications in Two Weeks. (2020, October 12). Jakarta Globe. https://jakartaglobe.id/lifestyle/indonesiasingapore-travel-corridor-to-open-for-applications-in-two-weeks/