TOURISM ministers in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are looking to strengthen intra-regional travel and promote emerging destinations as geopolitical tensions and energy market volatility threaten to raise aviation and transportation costs and weigh on long-haul tourism demand.
In a joint statement following the Second Asean Tourism Ministers’ Retreat in Manila on Sept. 29, 2026, the ministers said continued tensions in the Middle East and resulting volatility in global energy markets could directly affect aviation fuel and transportation costs, travel demand, connectivity, tourism businesses, investor confidence and destination competitiveness.
The ministers said Asean needs to closely monitor these developments and strengthen coordination with regional bodies overseeing energy and transport to help the tourism sector remain resilient.
They placed particular emphasis on strengthening interdependence among Asean member states through closer intra-regional travel linkages, while directing greater marketing investments toward emerging second- and third-tier destinations across the region.
The strategy could help cushion the tourism sector from a potential decline in long-haul arrivals as higher fuel prices increase the cost of air travel, the ministers said.
Tourism is a major contributor to Asean economies through employment, investment, MSMEs and people-to-people connectivity.
However, the sector remains vulnerable to external shocks, including geopolitical tensions, energy price volatility, economic uncertainty, climate risks, natural disasters and rapid technological change.
The ministers also called for stronger climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, business continuity planning and coordinated crisis communication to help destinations and tourism-dependent communities recover from disruptions.
The meeting also discussed the development of an Asean Sustainable and Resilient Tourism Investment Outlook, which aims to mobilize sustainable investment for tourism infrastructure, destination resilience and competitiveness.
The ministers welcomed greater engagement with private-sector groups, financial institutions and development partners to develop investment-ready tourism projects and expand opportunities for destinations and enterprises, including MSMEs.
They also welcomed the Philippines’ initiative on Asean Tourism Intelligence, which seeks to strengthen regional tourism data, analytics and demand forecasting to support faster responses to changing market conditions and external shocks.
The ministers tasked Asean tourism organizations to further study the initiative and recommend a way forward.
They reaffirmed their commitment to the Asean Tourism Sectoral Plan 2026–2030, which aims to advance sustainable, resilient, inclusive and digitally enabled tourism across the region. / KOC