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With the tourism industry continuing its strong growth in South East Asia, a landmark agreement is set to facilitate the mobility of skilled tourism workers throughout member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) on tourism professionals is seen as one of the key ASEAN tourism initiatives to pave the way for and support the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015.

According to ASEAN Tourism Performance 2013, ASEAN showed a strong growth with an average increase of 10.9% per annum during the years 2009 to 2013.

To ensure the sustainability of this growth, ASEAN feels that its appeal has to be matched by outstanding quality of services provided by the tourism industry in the region – backed by the deployment of highly competent hospitality and tourism workers.

Through facilitating the mobility of skilled tourism workers, ASEAN sees that the MRA will

recognise skills and qualifications of working tourism professionals from different ASEAN countries using regional references, including ASEAN Common Competency Standard on Tourism Professionals (ACCSTP), Common ASEAN Tourism Curriculum and 242 toolboxes.

National certification based on ACCSTP obtained in one member state will automatically be recognised by any other ASEAN member state, entitling a tourism professional to find a job and enter that member state’s tourism working force through ASEAN’s registration once the MRA is fully integrated in 2015.

Sounh Manivong, Chairman of the ASEAN Tourism Professional Monitoring Committee and Director General of the Tourism Development Department at the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Lao PDR explains “the MRA for Tourism Professionals would be a tool that would make AEC for the tourism sector reality.

“Regionals facilitation of tourism skilled workers would benefit ASEAN’s tourism industry by enhancing their competitiveness through improved quality of services and high quality labour.”

32 occupations/job titles are covered under the MRA, ranging from housekeeping and front office to food and beverages and food production services for the hospitality sector, and from travel agent to tour operator for the tourism sector.

The ASEAN Tourism Professional Registration System and the Regional Secretariat are being established and targeted to be completed in 2015 in time for the establishment of AEC.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a political and economic organisation of 10 countries in Southeast Asia. Membership includes: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The AEC has been established with the goal of achieving regional economic integration of ASEAN members by 2015.

Click here to view the ASEAN MRA for Tourism Professionals handbook.

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