ASEAN working on tourism pact

ASEAN working on tourism pact

MANILA: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is working on an agreement to boost tourism in the region by making travel within its 10 member countries "easier and less expensive", Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said Friday.

In a speech at a meeting of business leaders from ASEAN countries, Arroyo said the tourism agreement was just one of several steps being taken by the regional grouping to increase integration.

"We are drafting an agreement to make it easier and less expensive for tourists to come and travel within ASEAN," she said. "Closer integration is necessary for the long-term survival and prosperity of each of the ASEAN countries.

The Asian Development Bank said tourism contributed an average of 10.8 percent to the gross domestic product of Southeast Asian countries and provided an average of 8.2 percent of total employment in 2001. -- DPA