Asean travel sector should pull together for sustained prosperity

YEARS in the making, the Asean Economic Community (AEC) is finally on the homestretch. As its 2015 deadline looms just weeks away, opinion is divided as to how much has been achieved and how much more needs to be done. What remains unquestioned is the strength of South-east Asia as a singular, united entity.

Combined, Asean is the world's seventh-largest economy and one of its fastest growing. In its own right that should make it an economic powerhouse, but to date, its ability to harness that potential has been limited by unequal paces of development, infrastructure gaps and regulatory hurdles.

Take tourism for example. The year-round warm climate and rich tapestry of tastes, sights and sounds make South-east Asia a dream destination for any tourist - and a relatively inexpensive one at that.