Background to ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) on Tourism Professionals
Introduction
The tourism industry
contributes significantly to the overall ASEAN economy. Based on the ASEAN Travel
and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2012, it is estimated that this sector
accounts for 4.6 percent of ASEAN GDP. The contribution can be as
large as 10.9 percent when all indirect contributions from the sector are
taken into account. In addition, it directly employs 9.3 million people, or 3.2 percent of total
employment, and indirectly supports some 25 million jobs. The growth of international
tourism in ASEAN has been remarkable. In 1991, there were only 20 million international visitor
arrivals to ASEAN. After 20 years, the number has grown 4 times, to more than 81
million arrivals in 2011.
Rationale for MRA for Tourism Professionals
To ensure growth
sustainability and greater contribution to the ASEAN economy, the ASEAN tourism
attractiveness needs to be accompanied by excellent quality of services
provided by the tourism industry within the region. Having high-skilled tourism workers to
deliver high-quality services should become normal practice in order to
guarantee satisfaction of tourists visiting the region. One of the ways to achieve
this goal is through mutual recognition of qualifications of tourism
professionals across Member States.
The purpose of this mutual
recognition mechanism is to facilitate mobility of tourism professionals within
ASEAN based on competence-based tourism qualifications/certificates, and at the
same time, improve the quality of services delivered by tourism professionals. There are 32 job titles
covered under this MRA, ranging from housekeeping, front office, food and
beverages services, and food production for hotel division, to travel agencies
and tour operator for travel division.
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