Issue #55 - Who'd Want to be a Tourism Minister Right Now?
Being a Tourism Minister was thankless before the pandemic. It's near impossible now.
Hello. Welcome to issue 55 of Asia Travel Re:Set…
Last week, I wrote:
“There are stirrings of travel movement in parts of the region, and a general feeling that we may be on the cusp of a ‘partial’ 4th-quarter revival of activity. Let’s see.”
With Q4 imminent, more ‘pilot’ reopening announcements are likely - albeit vague, restrictive and subject to amendments.
So this week’s issue looks at the mysterious role of a Tourism Minister. What do (and don’t) they actually do?
Thanks for being on board,
Gary
NB (1): A few subscribers contacted me to say they haven’t received the past couple of issues. I checked with Substack, who told me that each weekly edition is being distributed to all subscribers. Their advice is:
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Apologies for any hassles in this regard.
NB (2): If you missed last week’s issue, please click below…
The Sunday Itinerary
- This Week’s Top 6
Asian Airports, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, NZ-Australia, the Philippines
- Who’d Want to be a Tourism Minister Right Now?
Spare a thought for the political appointees battling to revive travel
This Week’s Top 6
No Surprises as OAG reports not a single Asian airport in its Top 10 International Busiest Routes list. In August 2019, 8 of the Top 10 routes were Asian city pairs.
More Travel Unboxing in Thailand. Get ready for the BangkokBox, with the Thai capital fast-tracked for reopening in October. Or November. Soon, anyway.
Hard-Hat Photo Ops as Hong Kong International Airport completes construction of a 3rd runway designed to “transform from a ‘city airport’ into an ‘Airport City’.” Nope, me either.
Extra abbreviated travel lingo in Singapore as Changi International Airport welcomes its first VTL (vaccinated travel lane) flight from Germany.
Bubble-less Down Under as New Zealand pours icy water on the prospects of re-inflating its travel bubble with Australia any time soon.
All Bets are On in the Philippines as President Duterte removes a moratorium on casino resort development in Boracay.
Who’d Want to be a Tourism Minister Right Now?
Spare a thought for the region’s political appointees battling to revive travel.
“Majority Of ASEAN Countries Working To Restart Tourism”
This article headline appeared this week on Yahoo News, offering a regional summary of attempts to revive inbound tourism.
But which part(s) of government are pushing these ‘restart’ programmes - after 18 months of robustly locking out travel activity?
Tourism is heavily state-driven across the region. The figurehead for policy and promotion is (was) the Tourism Minister. But, as with everything, COVID is rewriting the rules. While the task has been upgraded, the Tourism Minister’s status has not.
Reviving tourism has assumed priority importance, as the economic impact of an 18-month embargo bites hard. It has become central to political machinations - and the lead players want in on the policy action, and the public profile it now brings.
Remember the opening of the Phuket Sandbox on 1 July? It wasn’t Thailand’s Minister for Tourism & Sports that greeted the first inbound arrivals at the airport.
It was Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
- Being a Tourism Minister was a thankless post before the pandemic. It's near impossible now…
Tourism Minister sits a way down the governmental hierarchy. It's rarely a Cabinet post - and tends to be viewed as a “speech-giving” rather than “policy-making” post.
Pre-pandemic, Tourism Minister was considered a lightweight challenge. So additional portfolios become suffixed to the business card.
This could be Arts & Culture. Perhaps Sports or Creative Economy. Maybe Trade.
But given the primary job title, incumbents are now being tasked with resurrecting entire travel economies for an uncertain era.
To achieve “national recovery goals,” a Tourism Minister must argue a case repeatedly across the powerful offices of the Prime Minister, Finance, Home Affairs, Trade & Industry, Information & Communications, and National COVID-19 Recovery Council.
Each Ministry adds its perspective to the overall objectives - and, crucially, the methods and finances to achieve them. Compromises are voluble.
- Tourism Ministers must front up glaring governmental inconsistencies…
Case Study 1: Indonesia's Tourism & Creative Economy Minister, Sandiaga Uno, is battling to fulfil governmental objectives to reopen Bali in the coming months. Yet, his ministerial budget has been slashed by 41%. “This includes (reducing) in-person meetings and road shows as well as domestic and international business trips.” 19 Visit Indonesia Tourism Offices in 14 countries are also being closed.
Case Study 2: Malaysia’s Tourism, Arts & Culture Minister, Nancy Shukri, this week had the doubled-masked task of confirming that vaccinated domestic tourists can (for the first time since January) visit the island of Langkawi, from 16 September. The caveat, she added, is that travellers must “apply for a police permit before their departure.” (Click the link if you don't believe me!)
[This was later rescinded by the - higher ranking - Health Minister]
- Tourism Ministers must repeat projections that they did not make…
Forecasting is a pivotal part of role fulfilment.
Malaysia’s Ms Shukri this week stated that Langkawi expects to receive 420,000 visitors from September-December, or 28,000 arrivals per week.
Also this week, Australia's Trade, Tourism & Investment Minister, Dan Tehan, adhered to the 2021 version of the projection game.
“We’re in the process of planning so that in the coming weeks we will have a system up and ready so when we hit that 70% or 80% vaccination mark Australians will be able to travel overseas again and also Australians will be able to return home in greater numbers.”
I've written enough CEO speeches to know that actually means:
"Reach 80% vaccination rate, and Australians might be able to take a holiday. And come back. Maybe.”
On Wednesday, I’ll be joining the OAG Webinar, hosted by John Grant & Becca Rowland to discuss all things aviation, travel & tourism in Asia Pacific. As John messaged this week:
“We've some fascinating insights on market volatility and the issues around any kind of real recovery; I'm sure we will also touch a few raw nerves in the discussion. Join us if you can. Gary...get ready!”
Can’t wait!
- Tourism Ministers make pronouncements they know could change within days or weeks…
Empathy please for Thailand's Minister of Tourism & Sports, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn. Not only must he learn, memorise and update an entirely new travel vernacular - Sandboxes, Sealed Routes, 7+7s etc - he must navigate the complex national reopening patchwork being stitched together.
Plan A is to delegate the tough stuff to the Tourism Authority of Thailand - which was established by Royal Decree in 1959, and upgraded by the National Legislative Assembly in 1979. The TAT is tasked with creating and promoting a “clear vision for world-class excellence in the promotion of modern tourism marketing.”
Its Board is filled by official appointees from the Ministries of Transport, Interior,
Finance, Commerce, Foreign Affairs, Tourism, and the Council of State.
Earlier this week, Thailand’s Minister of Tourism & Sports said:
“Only safe areas can re-open to Thai tourists on November 1, while international tourists are expected to enter without quarantine from January, led by travel bubbles with neighbouring countries starting on January 15.”
And then the obligatory forecasting:
“As Thailand is still recording daily caseloads of more than 10,000 and was downgraded to the red list for some target markets, the number of tourists this year might not exceed 300,000.”
Also pushing a ‘pilot reopening’ dependent on vaccine acceleration is Vietnam's Minister of Culture, Sports & Tourism, Nguyen Van Hung. This week’s Phu Quoc “Sandbox” statement saw the tourism figurehead preface tough negotiations ahead:
“At least 90% of the island's 180,000 population must be vaccinated. To achieve that figure means recommending that the Health Ministry and the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control prioritise vaccine allocation for Phu Quoc.”
“2 to 3 million international arrivals” is the official target this year!
- A Tourism Minister’s additional portfolios can seem eye-watering…
Spare a particular thought for Japan’s incumbent, Kazuyoshi Akaba, whose Ministry encompasses Land, Infrastructure, Transport & Tourism.
He is also Minister in Charge of Water Cycle Policy.
Imagine if this organisational chart was your personal responsibility!
Justifiably, Kazuyoshi Akaba’s post merits a Cabinet seat.
Similarly, Fiji's Minister of Commerce, Trade, Tourism & Transport, Faiyaz Koya, has a groaning in-tray.
“The Ministry formulates and implements policies and strategies to facilitate growth in industry, investment, trade, tourism, co-operative businesses, micro and small enterprises; and enhance metrology, standards and consumer protection.”
- Sensibly, some countries don’t have a Ministry of Tourism…
Singapore is an example. Responsibility is shared by the cross-border travel division of the Ministry of Trade & Industry and the air transport division of the Ministry of Transport.
The Singapore Tourism Board, a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, undertakes the marketing of Singapore as a tourism destination. Policy decisions tend to be announced by Senior Ministers or the Prime Minister.
But, before we finish…. proving it’s not always a slippery uphill climb…
… Occasionally, you get first run at tweeting impressive achievements, as Maldives Minister for Tourism, Abdulla Mausoom, was able to do this week.
Nicely done!
Will history record August 2021 as the month that travel returned to governmental agendas in South East Asia? It was an eventful month as policymakers accepted COVID-19 as endemic, and began planning accordingly. On this week’s The South East Asia Travel Show, we track the top travel talking points in August, and analyse the potential outcomes for the rest of 2021, and beyond.
And, that’s a wrap for Issue 55.
Until next Sunday, you can find me on Twitter, LinkedIn, the Asia Travel Re:Set website and - as mentioned above - the OAG Webinar on Wednesday.
Have a great week,
Gary