ASEAN airlines launch discounted airfares

ASEAN airlines launch discounted airfares

SINGAPORE (AFP): After months of talks, Southeast Asian
airlines have agreed to offer standard discounted fares for
tourists flying into the region in a determined bid to prop up
shrinking tourism revenues.

The talks under the auspices of the ASEAN Tourism Association
(ASEANTA) have led to the introduction of a special air pass
entitling passengers to buy coupons at US$90 for travel to any
single ASEAN destination.

"This is a big breakthrough because for one thing the ASEAN
airlines, despite their diversity, have got together to promote
ASEAN as a single destination," Nurdin Purnomo, treasurer of
ASEANTA, said on the sidelines of the ASEAN Tourism Forum '99
which ended in Singapore Sunday.

"The other thing is that the coupon system is going to be very
efficient for travelers, say from Europe or the U.S, because they
get to see more places in ASEAN by taking advantage of the
combined strength of the airlines," Purnomo said.

He expected a jump of between 10 and 20 percent in tourist
arrivals in areas not frequented by specific ASEAN airlines with
the implementation of the so-called "ASEAN Air Pass" this year.

"Before this air pass concept, tourists usually stick to one
airline and not necessary that airline operates in areas which
they wish to go. So we are having many gateways to the region
now," Purnomo said.

A soft launch of the air pass concept was held in December and
it was officially unveiled at the ASEAN Tourism Forum, Purnomo
said, adding that ASEAN was also moving towards offering tourists
a hotel pass and land transport pass along the same lines.

Officials said the air pass concept had been in discussions
since May last year and the stumbling block had been to get
airlines to agree on the price and concept.

"You need to put aside personal interest and focus on national
issues. So, I think we have achieved that in that sense that all
airlines have come into agreement to put ASEAN in front," said
Patricia Auyeong, secretary-general of the Federation of ASEAN
Travel Associations (FATA).

Officials said the ASEAN air pass was being marketed
aggressively by airlines overseas to woo back tourists to the
region hit by financial turmoil and air pollution due to forest
fires since 1997.

According to the London-based World Travel and Tourism
Council, total gross domestic product (GDP) generated in
Southeast Asia from tourism in 1998 could have dropped 11 percent
to $70 billion.

"The air pass will help to promote ASEAN as a single tourist
destination by allowing different destinations in the region to
be accessed at the same reduced fare," noted Singapore Trade and
Industry Minister Lee Yock Suan.

"It is also a visible demonstration of ASEAN solidarity and
cooperation among the participating ASEAN airlines," Lee said.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comprises
Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Cambodia is awaiting formal
admission.

The key participants of the ASEAN air pass scheme are Garuda
Indonesia, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Thai Airways,
Philippine Airlines and Royal Brunei.

The air pass can be purchased by travelers flying into the
ASEAN region on any of these national carriers and allows them to
add on additional ASEAN destinations at a standard incremental
fare of $90 per destination.

"It will be very attractive especially for long haul affluent
travelers," said FATA's Auyeong. "It will be easy and simple to
calculate the air fare because it is standard."

A minimum of three flight coupons at $270 must be purchased
together with an international ticket for travellers to be
entitled to the air pass.

"The coupons are interchangeable in the sense that travelers
will be able to jump into any ASEAN airline," Auyeong said.