Issue 20 Tourism and Development Jun 2012 by Noviscape Consulting Group

20 ISSUE

Tourism and Development All Aboard: Growing Middle-Class Tourism in Southeast Asia Creative Tourism 2.0

Commodification of Culture in Southeast Asia Interview with Mr. Weerasak Kowsurat Infographic: Southeast Asia Gain & Loss from Tourism

BY DR. APIWAT RATANAWARAHA

EDITORIAL

Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Chulalongkorn University A

BY DR. APIWAT RATANAWARAHA

MS. ASHLEY E. PRITCHARD

KEYWORDS:

Tourism; global middle class; China

Development of an Affluent Middle Class in Asia

Some seven hundred and thirty five odd years ago, a young Marco Polo set out from Venice to travel to Asia to deliver a gift to the great Kublai Kahn. Since that time many people from all over the world have come to Asia for exploration, business and tourism. Even today, no matter the reason for traveling, development at local, regional, and national levels is affected by tourism. New products and services are introduced domestically and internationally to serve tourists. Economies and infrastructure are adjusted to meet the needs of a changing species of visitors. This issue of TRENDNOVATION SOUTHEAST examines some specific changes and impacts of Tourism and Development in Southeast Asia. For years Western travelers have been the main source of tourism in Southeast Asia. Due to the recent recession that has hit the Western markets, these travelers are being replaced by a new global middle class rising from China, India, the Middle East, and Russia. This group is markedly different from the traditional European and American tourists, making it necessary for the Southeast Asia travel industry to adapt to its new clients. In this issue’s first article, Apiwat Ratanawaraha and Ashley Pritchard look at potential increases in tourism to the region, as well as its implications, opportunities, drivers, and inhibitors. In the second article, Pun-Arj Chairatana explores the regional tourism sector, focusing specifically on creative tourism. He poses the question of whether creative tourism could be a promising learning platform, particularly for limited-budget domestic and local tourists. While there are a few case studies of how some locations in Southeast Asia have transformed themselves into short-listed, creative tourism destinations in art and gastronomy, the article spotlights the underrepresented sub-sector, including science museums. The article expects great challenges for cities to promote creative tourism by bridging and balancing commercial and cultural aspects of tourism with specific focus on the poor and disabled. In the third article, Kan Yuenyong and Pakpoom Saengkanokkul focus on the adaptation of ASEAN culture in the context of globalization and capitalism. Tourism and cultural commodification will be a key driver in the ASEAN economy. Collaboration of all tourism stakeholders will be the key factor to distributing wealth and other positive effects of development while conserving cultural diversity. In this issue, we feature an interview with Weerasak Kowsurat, former Minister of Tourism and Sports in Thailand. He imparts his thoughts on current trends in tourism in the region, how the poor could benefit from public policy regarding tourism, and how digital media are changing tourism. Our infographic of the month highlights the positive and negative contribution of tourism to social and economic development in Southeast Asia. While tourism is another backbone of the regional economy, the local communities and the countries as a whole often have to pay a high price for it, both in terms of exploitation of natural resources and effects on indigenous populations.

Disclaimer : The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of Noviscape Consulting Group or the Rockefeller Foundation. Copyright © Trendsoutheast 2009 - 2012. All Rights Reserved.

Current statistics and exciting predictions allude to a “New Global Middle Class.” Over the coming twenty years the world will evolve from being mostly poor to mostly middle class. 2022 has been estimated to be the first year more people in the world are middle class than poor, and by 2030, 5 billion people – nearly two thirds of the global population – could well be in the ranks of the middle class (Deutsche Bank Research, 2009).

Tourists gather around the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand - one of the country’s largest tourist attractions.

IDEA The predicted new global middle class will consist of a group that is overwhelmingly Asian, notably Chinese and Indian individuals, as well as the nouveaux riches of Russia and the Middle East. This new global middle class will become the new global tourist. Recent predictions suggest that Chinese consumer spending alone will be enough to single-handedly boost tourism markets in Southeast Asia. This group is markedly different from the traditional European and American tourists, and so the Southeast Asia travel industry will have to adapt to its new clients in order to succeed. The Southeast Asian country that does the best job catering and fulfilling the needs of these new rising middle-class tourists will secure that portion of their economy for decades.

SCENARIOS/TRENDS AND EARLY INDICATORS For years Western tourists have provided the backbone of travel dollars for safe and popular Asian tourist spots. However, with the recent recession that has hit the Western market, the internal Asian markets saw a huge tourism slump for the first time in decades. In China, India and the Middle East, recent economic indicators point to an overwhelming growth, suggesting potential new leaders in the world economy.” With this escalation of world economies comes the introduction of a new global middle class – one that may change the shape of tourism in Southeast Asia.

This potential increase in the global middle class is associated with a significant geographical income redistribution – with almost all of the new members of the global middle class residing in Asia. Today there are only 500 million middleclass consumers in Asia, with one-quarter of these individuals located in Japan. Within twenty-years there could be up to a six-fold increase to some 3.2 billion people. Asia’s share of the global middle class would rise from just over one-quarter today to two-thirds by 2030, and China alone could comprise 1.4 billion of these consumers, more than all of the middle-class consumers that exist in Asia today (Kharas & Gertz, 2010). The burgeoning of Asia’s middle class makes it an important consumer market and an engine of economic growth in the region. Consumption spending more broadly has been driving growth across Asia. Today’s middle class in Europe and North America may be only 54 percent of the global total in terms of the number of people, but they account for 64 percent of total middle class spending. On this basis, Asia’s middle-class growth is even more rapid. In 2009, Asia accounted for a mere 23 percent of the expenditures of the global middle class, but by 2030 it may account for 59 percent, surpassing that of Europe and North America (Kharas & Gertz, 2010).

Looking Outward – Tourism on the Horizon For eager Southeast Asian government officials and business opportunists, the thought of having a possible130 million Chinese tourists in the upcoming years is staggering. In 2011, Credit Suisse reported that Chinese residents spent about $47.4 billion USD overseas on their bank cards, up 66.7% from the year earlier. According to a study by Mingsarn Kaosa-ard, Chinese tourists are now the biggest spenders, spending an average of $285 USD per day, even more than the Japanese, Korean and Western tourists to Thailand. Combine that with the World Travel and Tourism Council’s 2022 predictions that the Middle East will spend upwards of $103.5 billion USD in outbound travel, and India’s over 28 million passport holders will have an annual growth rate in outbound travel averaging 16%, and the possibilities are substantial.

4 IMPLICATIONS AND INTERVENTIONS With the mushrooming of a new global middle class and its consumer spending, it is imperative that Southeast Asia understand the new global consumer’s expectations and preferences. There are many aspects of the Southeast Asian tourism market that will need to be adjusted, in order to accommodate the geographic, ethnic and preferential changes needed to deliver the goods and services desired by these new Chinese, Indian, Russian and Middle Eastern tourists.

Ni hao, Namaste, Marhaba, Zdravstvuj! For achieving a competitive advantage, those businesses that can quickly adapt to changes in language, currency, and customs will fare well. This includes website advertisements and information, hotel package prices, and local restaurant menu offerings. Many operators have quickly adapted to the changing dynamic of tourism. High-end hospitals in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Manila have already trained their staffs to speak these foreign languages. A growing number of hotels in Thailand hire Filipino “interns” in place of locals because they can communicate better in English. We have already seen native speakers of Russian and Mandarin working in the hospitality industry in Southeast Asia. With the influx of tourists with different backgrounds, religions, national origins, and customs than the previous Western dominance, Southeast Asia will have to adapt to these different cultures. More arrangements must be made at popular tourist destinations to allow traditional Muslim prayer, and restaurants may need to become more accommodating in offering Halal options on their menus. Travel agencies should pay particularly close attention to the evolution of the new middle-class tourist – and make arrangements to have tour guides proficient in their languages. Furthermore, immigration offices in Southeast Asia should work to ensure quick and efficient processing of visas for these countries, and improve flight patterns and transportation options to secure more frequent and convenient routes.

Flight routes have drastically increased in number and frequency between Southeast Asia and China in recent months.

5 Recent predictions from the International Tourism Exchange (ITB) have stated that Chinese travelers overseas will surpass 130 million by 2020. Various visa and travel laws can greatly impact decisions regarding destinations for travel. China enforces their Approved Destination Status (ADS), which is granted to overseas destinations through a bilateral government agreement. The purpose of ADS is to have a control mechanism on the organizing parties on both sides (local travel agencies and international tour operators). It is critical, therefore, that countries in Southeast Asia work with designated Chinese travel operators to ensure that interesting, diverse, and affordable packages are offered. Currently, the number of approved ADS tourism operators in Southeast Asia is not substantial. Similarly, Russian outbound travel to Southeast Asia in the past several years has indicated a specific targeted niche: coastal cities and cruises. Southeast Asia should advance further river cruise packages and beach vacation stays in order to attract this large market. Just last year, Russia alone sent 77,500 people to the coastal city of Phan Thiet in Viet Nam, with more tourists anticipated this year (“Sun and Sea Draw Russian Tourists to Vietnam,” 2011).

DRIVERS & INHIBITORS Achieving Southeast Asia’s tremendous potential is contingent upon short-term efforts to meet the demand of the potential influx of Asian tourists.

Where the World Comes to Shop Shopping in Southeast Asia can be a great attraction to the consumer spending habits of the Asian tourist. Currently in China, import duties on general luxury products can be as high as 35%-60%. Add on a value-added tax (17%) and a consumption tax, depending on the merchandise, and prices on the mainland are penal. According to a survey by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, prices for luxury goods in China are 45% higher than in Hong Kong, 51% higher than in the U.S., and 72% higher than in France. This has caused rich consumers to simply take their spending overseas. Chinese tourists accounted for 62% of all luxury consumer sales in Europe last year (Stephen, 2012). This largely inflated tax, in addition to tourist consumer spending patterns overseas, can be of great benefit to Southeast Asia, as it contains a sizeable number of luxury venues and affordable shopping options – especially those located in Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Manila.

Southeast Asia: A Melting Pot of New Cultures? Incorporating this plurality of cultures, religions, languages, and customs is both challenging and exciting for Southeast Asia. Questions arise as to how these new foreign arrivals will be incorporated into local Southeast Asian life. Will these tourists be small, individual groups of backpackers who support local enterprises and interact with the local community, engaging in dialogues and exchanging cultures? Or will they be resort seekers who isolate themselves within the confines of luxury, never venturing out to local establishments? The spread of new cultures around Southeast Asia, although yet to be determined how impactful, will further globalize the region.

Mega malls and large shopping complexes provide relief for anxious tourist shoppers.

Trend Setters: Palawan, the Philippines

Security and Safety

One such example of a pocketed, isolated community is that of a recent proposal for a Chinese project in Palawan, the Philippines. Palawan has wasted no time in attempting to establish the city as an international tourist destination. A former Governor led a 23-man delegation composed of provincial board members, mayors, and representatives of the business and tourism sectors to China in an attempt to promote their city and establish connections. Since this meeting, officials from the Shanghai Tourism Administration Commission and two Chinese tour groups have made their way to Palawan through official ADS tourism operators.

The Asian tourist potential is dependent upon necessary and sufficient security and safety measures within the region: without them, the tourists will not come. Southeast Asia contains every form of government imaginable – from monarchies to military regimes to democracies. Tourism is dependent upon the safety and security of a country. It is no surprise that Myanmar has poor numbers in tourism due to its political state. In 2011, Myanmar hosted just 313,127 tourists, in comparison to neighboring Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia who hosted between 7.65 million to 24.6 million tourists. For example, the political uprisings in Bangkok in 2010, and the 2011 floods caused massive decreases in tourist numbers, with the recent floods accounting for a loss of nearly 800,000 tourists. Safety and stability are fundamental concerns for tourists, especially for the Chinese due to the ADS pressures placed upon the designated Chinese travel operators. These aspects must be improved in order to secure the long term travel of newly middle-class Asian tourists.

Most staggering is Palawan’s recent agreement to allow a group of Chinese investors to develop a tourism and retirement community, exclusively for mainland Chinese citizens, on a 600-hectare island in Palawan. They will invest over $75 million in developing first class amenities at a beachfront property for the elderly, equipped with neighboring hotels which will attract family members of retiree families for tourism. The project is estimated to bring in over $40 billion to the Philippines within the first two years. The first class island will have its own airport, hospital, hotel, and nursing home, as well as other facilities to make the retirees comfortable. Jing Ping Li, founder and CEO of Global CEO Clubs, said there is a need to build a ‘Chinese village’ outside of China because the only beachfront island in the country is extremely expensive and already sold out.

CONCLUSION The new global middle class represents an incredible opportunity for a forward thinking Southeast Asia. The spending will create jobs and more affluence for the people, and possibly create stronger economic ties with emerging superpowers in

the world economy. The Southeast Asian country that invests in this sector, and understands and caters to the new global tourist, may reap decades of benefits for its citizens. But will those benefits be seen by the poor of Southeast Asia? While it remains uncertain, the answer appears to be not likely. While there may be a positive benefit due to some of the large infrastructure projects (such as new airports, bus routes, and highway reengineering), this will likely come at a great cost to the poor – forcing many to leave their homes due to tourism development projects and the lack of affordability of tourist destinations for them. Moreover, the poor will not see the benefits of this new tourist consumer industry. Most of these new middle-class tourists are anxious to see “how the other half lives”, and have been spending most of their wealth on luxury hotels, luxurious services, and designer label products. With these actions, tourists are investing in international chain accommodations which are certainly not owned or operated by the poor, and almost always they will be purchasing foreign luxury goods rather than native art. It is important for Southeast Asia to control the potential for massive leakage, where money spent in the country by tourists would leak out of its borders into the hands of foreign investors. In order to remedy these leakages and provide opportunities for the poor, Southeast Asia must be aware of its tourism development, and provide ample opportunity to allow the impoverished to participate in this development. As noted by Caroline Ashley, pro-poor tourism works to “mitigate the costs [to the poor] while maximizing the benefits.” (Ashley, Boyd, & Goodwin, 2000). Pro-poor tourism puts the poor at the heart of tourism development. Some ways to maximize the benefits are to encourage tourists to purchase locally-made artisan handcrafts, to stay in locally operated hotels, and to support local restaurants. Given the spending habits and observed activities of the new middle class, it is doubtful that support for pro-poor tourism or eco-tourism will be seen for quite some time.

REFERENCES

Ashley, C., Boyd, C., & Goodwin, H. (2000). Pro-Poor Tourism: Putting Poverty at the Heart of the Tourism Agenda. Natural Resource Perspectives, 51. Kharas, H., & Gertz, G. (2010). The New Global Middle Class: A Cross-Over from West to East. Washington D.C.: Brookings Institute. Research, D. B. (2009). Emerging Asia’s Middle Class: A Force to be Reckoned With. Frankfurt am Main: Deutsche Bank. Stephen, C. (2012). Threat to Chinese tourist spending boom: Winners and Losers from Luxury Tax Cut. Market Watch. Retrieved from http://www.marketwatch.com/ story/threat-to-chinese-tourist-spending-boom-2012-03-18 Sun and Sea Draw Russian Tourists to Vietnam. (2011). Hanoi Trains, from http://hanoitrains.com/travel-news/sun-and-sea-draw-russian-tourists-to-vietnam.html “Mingsarn points out the weakness of Thailand’s tourism is administration and management of Thai government.” Thai Rath Newspaper. September 24, 2010. Retrieved from http://www.tuhpp.net/?p=806

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Apiwat Ratanawaraha is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, where he teaches infrastructure planning and finance, urban management, and economic development. His current research includes projects on city innovations in Southeast Asian megacities, infrastructure justice, and inequality in access to basic services in Thailand. He has been a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at MIT, teaching infrastructure finance and energy security. He was a Doctoral Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, conducting research on infrastructure, technological development and innovation policy. Ashley Pritchard holds a BA in Political Science and Economics and a minor in Engineering from Lehigh University. As a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, she works with diplomatic and international aid missions for peace while she studies at Chulalongkorn University to obtain her Master’s in International Development. Prior to coming to Thailand, Ashley liaised with NGO’s while working several years at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Her major research interests include tourism for development, microfinance, and their impact on societies. Her current research is testing the theory of the trickle-down effect in analyzing the relationship between tourism, development and human rights through case work in Myanmar.

7 BY DR. PUN-ARJ CHAIRATANA Managing Director, Noviscape Consulting Group

KEYWORDS:

Creative tourism; art & culture; creative cities; intangible cultural heritage; UNESCO; science museum; inclusive museum; learning style

IDEA Tourism is very important for developing countries, and Southeast Asia is among the world’s top-listed tourism destinations. “Creative tourism” facilitates a tourist to gain an authentic experience through an engagement in participative learning of art, culture, heritage or the special character of a place.1 Activities within creative tourism are diverse, and are closely connected to cultural tourism. With a high level of international demand for “an exotic experience”, the region is dominated by creative activities in agro-tourism and trekking & tours (long-stay and green tourism), gastronomy and culinary arts (e.g. oriental cooking lessons), and theatre/dance/music. In contrast, activities that reflect “an everyday culture” or accelerate “an inspiration” are underrepresented, particularly in science, the visual arts, and family friendly/ children’s activities.

1 2 3 4

tions that embrace people with handicaps and the aged to enjoy life-long learning by applying media technologies are increasingly in demand, because of a demographic change and a more active life-style of the handicapped, particularly among those using motorized wheelchairs. Bangkok Seashell Museum a children-friendly specialized science museum in an accessible area of central Bangkok.

triangle5

So far, Chiang Mai, with a more active creative with special emphasis on commercializing and promoting software and industrial design sectors,6 is the only city in Southeast Asia that already applied in 2011 for “City of Design” status from the network. In the near future, the signals for change are mixed. There will be more major cities that join the bandwagon, those that are the business centers and culturally rich, especially Bandung, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur. For minor cities, there will be more chances to see challenging and exciting co-creations between the smaller city and its strong and active community, like in the case of Luang Prabang (Laos), Malacca (Malaysia) and Hua Hin (Thailand), while an individual or community involvement will still be very limited, because of the strong emphasis on the economic-led development paradigm among private and public sectors.

A new generation of interactive museums Museums in Southeast Asia share similar problems with the rest of the world. Students and foreign tourists have been their loyal patrons for a very long time. Around the region, national museums still receive sufficient funding by the government in order to serve as a place of high cultural displays and national pride. In contrast, other public and city museums will face a high level of uncertainty in financial support.

SCENARIOS AND EARLY INDICATORS United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) projected that at the end of 2012, the whole of international tourism will reach 1 billion, and half of all tourists will visit emerging markets and developing countries. “Less museums, more squares”, reflects the notion of creative tourism activities based on an intensive participation by the individual (Raymond, 2008). The city is a reservoir of creativity and space for such an engagement. It is a center stage for the creative economy and tourism. While the private sector in Southeast Asia rapidly welcomes this emerging sector, the majority of national and other old-fashioned museums (as part of art and cultural spaces for creative tourism), including local communities, are not resonating to the speed of adaption occurring in this new socio-cultural architecture. The pace of development between the creative economy and its existing foundation is increasingly widening and complex. At this moment, many favorite destinations are actively producing and exploiting their high and popular cultures, while the origins of everyday culture have passively been left behind (See Creative Tourism 2.0). Evidences emerging from these developments show that there is an increasing engagement in the everyday culture among locales and a new generation of cultural entrepreneurships.

have been varied and vague (Intarakumnerd and Chairatana, 2010). This includes an understanding of the concept of intangible cultural heritage that is focused on the uncodified culture embedded within the people (Salman, 2010). This dimension of creative cities has more relevancy to the socio-culturally rich cities, e.g. Bali and Yogyakarta (Indonesia), Mandalay (Myanmar), Amphawa (Thailand), and Huế (Vietnam), particularly for heritage tourism and nostalgia trade.

The “Creative city” will accelerate local economic and cultural integration In October 2004, the Creative Cities Network was launched by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to be the network for promoting cultural diversity (creative tourism) and sustainable urban development (the hub of the creative economy).2 Since 2008, cities in Southeast Asia have received international attention as the potential partners to promote this emerging concept. The British Council3, with a special focus on economic development, introduced a global scale partnership project for the UK and targeted cities in the region. This project has inspired major cities to develop their creative industries by launching each city’s “creative hub” in their key competitive sectors, e.g. handicrafts for Bandung (Indonesia), furniture for Cebu City (the Philippines), and software and handicrafts for Chiang Mai (Thailand). There had previously been a less publicized Asia Pacific initiative to propagate the benefit of culture for urban community development by the Japan Foundation, the JENESYS4 East Asia Future Leaders Program. Recognition and common understanding among the key stakeholders in the tourism sector

The concept was coined by a group of international experts at the UNESCO Santa Fe International Conference on Creative Tourism in 2008. It is among the key sub-sectors within the creative economy. There are two important dimensions within the creative cities, i.e. promoting socio-economic and cultural development through “Creative hubs”, and connecting socio-culturally diverse communities to create a healthy urban environment through “Socio-cultural clusters”. The British Council Creative Cities Project Urban Community Development Inspired by Culture: The Potential of Creative Cities Program.

Countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand are upgrading and renovating their museums and national heritage sites to serve the demands of local visitors for a modern and creative space for affordable leisure and edutainment. Recently Singapore, as a rich city-state, already made a new generation of interactive, relevant, and participative museums for social learning, e.g. National Museum of Singapore, which offers a visitor multi-lingual contents, exquisite exhibitions, and “a highly trained curator”. In Thailand, the National Discovery Museum Institute (NDMI) established Museum Siam at the heart of old quarter Bangkok by transforming the old Ministry of Commerce building into the first interactive museum for national history with all year-round nighttime activities in Thailand. Another sub-activity within creative tourism is scientific exploration and experimentation. In Southeast Asia, five cities of ASEAN57 operate Science Museum-Science Discovery CenterPlanetariums. Most of these museums suffer from insufficient support and a lack of public interest. Among these, Singapore Science Center (recognized as one of the best science center in the world) and Thailand National Science Museum (with extensive and continuous outreach activities, NSM has organized the Thailand Water Rocket Competition since 2002 and its annual Science Caravan) are the most active organizations. The NSM also has brought science into the city center by introducing a remote exhibition to the downtown Bangkok business district. With the current uneven development of Science Museums around the region, creative tourism in science will face a high uncertainty and challenge. The “science curator” will be in demand to attract domestic tourists of all ages to gain an authentic experience in science. Technological innova5 6 7

More “In-door squares”, more “public space for art” Change agents for the everyday culture in Southeast Asia are that group of academics, architects, young entrepreneurs, and local historians who are already challenging the establishment and promoting the idea of “less museums, more squares”. The creative tourism activities for the Southeast Asian will mainly take place inside buildings, because of the overbearingly hot climate. Megacities in the region already house the best and biggest malls and department stores with air conditioning. It becomes a place for shopping and “in-door squares”, perfectly adapted for a contemporary lifestyle, and all walks of life can spend the whole day in this complex that provide A to Z activities ranging from special education (Singapore and Thailand) to worshiping (in the case of Philippines). This trend is spreading into other secondary and smaller cities around the region. Apart from the malls, another private space that rejuvenates an old heritage with boutique hotel services to create a selfsustained business model, e.g. the Blue Mansion (Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion) and the Pinang Peranakan Mansion in Malaysia, or Plearnwan, the retro-theme park that brings a vintage Thailand back to life. Increasingly, where Southeast Asia offers all-year-round outdoor cultural activities, there is very limited participation from the individual, except for some religion related festivals, e.g. the water festival in the Sub Mekong region, or Chinese Lunar New Year. Also, art appreciation has not typically been a part of daily life of Southeast Asians, but these on-going creativities are transforming lifestyle for the local. There have been more art exhibitions in the malls and on the public space

A network of academia, business associations, and the local administration in Chiang Mai Chiang Mai Creative City Initiative (CMCC) Cities in ASEAN5 that operate science related museums compose of Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, and Singapore.

8 (Paksukcharern, 2012). These campaigns will induce “searchfor-meaning” to become a trend among a group of alternative domestic and intra-regional tourists, who crave to discover a meaningful interpretation of the place and environment they visit. In other words, “self-realization” from a real experience, and encounters with “a local artist in residence” are rising (Intarakumnerd and Chairatana, 2010).

IMPLICATIONS In the next decade, domestic creative tourism will grow very fast, but accessibility and affordability among the poor and vulnerable will still be very limited. The creative cities should bring forth their art and culture into the lives of the peopleat-the-bottom-of-Pyramid (BoP) by reducing or eliminating the barriers for accessibility to art and culture – by becoming “a pro-poor creative city”. This will leverage their self-esteem and social cohesion by embedding an “everyday culture” for the poor. These will include the socially and economically disadvantaged people; e.g. the HIV-positive, the stateless people, the under-educated senior citizens, and the indigenous minorities and others into a creative society. The next generation of creative tourism should offer all people alternative participative learning and an affordable, authentic experience. For example, in the case of the museum, we can create a network for “an inclusive science museum” by promoting the remote science exhibition for rural and remote areas with special emphasis on creative activities for poor families and vulnerable children, or circulating an older exhibition into provincial areas for a temporary exhibition, or into neighboring countries, particularly Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. This will support the idea of “collaborative consumption” in a regional context. As a result, “creative tourism 2.0” needs to emphasize vertical integration to bridge and balance the commercial and cultural dimensions of the creative cities. It should raise awareness, the incentives for revisiting, and support life-long learning from domestic tourists through high involvement activities, dynamic contents (local or indigenous languages), and easy to digest contents in order to make creative tourism a benefit for the poor and vulnerable.

• Countries in the Asia Pacific will be the second biggest exporting region for creative products and services in the next ten years. (UNCTAD). • Increase of new private art galleries, refurbishment of local historic places, and specialized museums in major touristic destinations in Southeast Asia. • Individualism and growing pride and self-recognition among ethnic groups (Ivey, 2006).

Founder, Siam Intelligence Unit

INHIBITORS

• Major cities in Southeast Asia will be more complex because of an increasing number of newcomers who bring different cultures and worldviews into the cities. • Increasingly, the region shares a diverse culture, and arts appreciation has never been a part of daily life for the majority of contemporary people in Southeast Asia. • Public authorities impose a strict censorship, screening and control over the arts and cultural activities. • Lack of local support for “an artist in residence” to continue his/her work.

REFERENCES Intarakumnerd, P., Chairatana, P-A., (2010). Sectoral Innovation System for Knowledge-Based and Creative Economies in Thailand: The Cases of Creative Tourism, Office of National Education Council (In Thai). Ivey, I. (2006). Tourism Global Foresight Report, the T&T Foresight Project, NIHERST Sector Foresight Project. Retrieved from http://www.niherst.gov.tt/s-and-t/ projects/foresighting/tourism-sector-report-final.pdf National Science Museum (2012). Annual Report 2011, Bangkok, Thailand. Retrieved from http://www.nsm.or.th/nsm2012/ Paksukcharern, K. (2012). Temporal Intervention: City Innovation for Public Art in Bangkok, City Innovation Case Study Brief, Vol. 3. Retrieved from http://www.cisasia.net/Case_Study_Brief/Bangkok/03-BKK-Public-Art.pdf Raymond, C. (2008). What’s in a name?: The origins of the term ‘creative tourism’. In Creative Tourism, a global conversation: How to provide unique creative experiences for travelers worldwide.,Edited by R. Wurzburger, T. Aageson, A.Pattakos and S. Pratt. Santa Fe, New Mexico: Sunstone Press. Salman, D. (2010). Rethinking of Cities, Culture and Tourism within a Creative Perspective, Editorial, Vol. 8(3) Special Issue, p. 1-5. Retrieved from http://www.pasosonline.org/Publicados/8310special/PS0310_01.pdf UNESCO (2006). Towards Sustainable Strategies for Creative Tourism, Discussion Report of the Planning Meeting for 2008 International Conference on Creative Tourism, October 25-27, 2006, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. Retrieved from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001598/159811e.pdf UNWTO (2012). Tourism and Poverty Alleviation. Retrieved from http://step.unwto.org/en/content/tourism-and-poverty-alleviation-1 http://www.creativechiangmai.com/en/sectors/ http://creativetourism.circlecamp.com/index.php?page=home http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/03/03/bandung-has-yet-draw-a-roadmap-creative-industry.html http://www.southeastasianarchaeology.com/2007/09/17/indonesian-museumsface-the-future/

REFERENCES

DRIVERS • The UNESCO creative cities program is attracting more local leadership in the region to candidate their cities as one of participating cities in the network to boost-up the economy and rebrand the city.

BY MR.KAN YUENYONG

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Pun-Arj Chairatana is the Managing Director of NOVISCAPE CONSULTING GROUP and the Principal Investigator of TRENDNOVATION SOUTHEAST NEWSLETTER. He has been involved with various regional scenario buildings and future exercises since 2000. As a policymaker, he was Director of Policy Entrepreneur and Foreign Affairs Department at the Public Policy Development Office (PPDO), the Office of Cabinet Secretariat. He has a background in economics of technological change, innovation management, health and nuclear physics. His expertise is in the areas of strategic foresight, technology and innovation management, public policy, trend analysis, and political economy.

MR. PAKPOOM SAENGKANOKKUL Junior Analyst

IDEA Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution stated that there is a variation and competition in species, but only those who can adjust themselves to the environment will be likely to survive and reproduce. This notion describes a human culture which is full of competition and diversity. Today, capitalism and globalization dominate our worldview. A culture that is capable of adjusting itself to a new environment has a high probability of surviving. In contrast, a culture that fails to change may be eliminated. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) suggests that, in this millennium, the tourism industry will be a key driver for the world economy, especially for the developing countries. However, its commodity will not only be based on natural attractions and low-cost services, but the value added provided by the cultures. Consequently, a local culture and its sub-cultures will increasingly be commoditized. Will this authenticity be swallowed up by globalization, or will it adjust itself to survive in a globalization of cultural commodification?

SCENARIOS AND EARLY INDICATORS Southeast Asia, a natural attraction and hospitality rich region, is an ideal destination for international tourism. This industry is considered one of the priority sectors for ASEAN integration. Since the beginning of this millennium, the size of ASEAN tourism has doubled, with total international arrivals of more than 73 million in 2010 compared to 39 million in 2000. Intra-ASEAN travel played a very important role, with 47 percent share in 2010 (ASEAN Secretary, 2012). Similar to South America, the region hosts many diverse groups of ethnic minorities and indigenous cultures with a high variety of cultural diversity. We cannot deny that tourism brings wealth and prosperity to community and country, but it has both positive and negative impacts on the livelihoods for these particular groups of people. In this sense, tourism and culture are very interrelated. By default, community development and different cultural sets from the tourists may erode and destroy the core of the local cultures. This will be extremely dangerous to the 19 percent of the ASEAN population who consider themselves as indigenous peoples. These groups value their identities and cultures as priceless, but gain very little from national tourism policies. In this article, we propose three scenarios based on an adaptation of local and sub-local cultures in the globalization and tourism industry.

KEYWORDS:

Globalization; capitalism; tourism industry; local culture; sub-local culture; ethnic groups; indigenous peoples; adaptation

receiving basic food to survive in order to generate a big profit for the owner. Moreover, the tourists have less engagement and no attachment with them. The human zoo has exhibited in this world since the 19th century, to show the freaks of the Orient for western peoples. The original Siamese twins were a good example. However, these were not respectful exhibitions, but they still remain in this millennium, for example, there is an African village in Augsburg’s Zoo, as well as a Pygmy show in a zoo at Brazzaville, Congo. A Laotian village in the Southern region of Laos is a simulation village, for an ensemble of eight different indigenous groups to show their livelihood and welcome the tourists. There will soon be a grand opening for a Karen Village near Bangkok, which will charge $5.00 for entrance. From a tourism industry perspective, this reflects the monopoly style of the central government towards tourism policies, or in other words, “an extreme commoditization of culture”. It excludes the majority of the nation’s people, like the ordinary citizen, the local people/tribe, the ethnic minority, and the indigenous people out of the decision-making process. Local culture and sub-local culture as well as people will be conserved as long as they can be sold in globalization and capitalism. People show their cultures as if they are an animal in the zoo, and get a tiny benefit from the tourism. They also don’t get respect from the tourists. Their community gets a little from the developmental scheme, but creates more conflict in their surroundings, or in the worst scenario, loses its cultural identity.

Karen, a group of indigenous people in Northern region of Thailand. Some rights reserved by Joseph A Ferris III.

The Zoo Park “Zoo Park” is a place where the tourists gain a new experience by watching livelihoods of other species. Animals are exhibited in a cage or perhaps in a replicated environment or setting – an unauthentic natural environment. All of them have role-plays to entertain and attract the tourists, and the only benefit for them is Disclaimer : The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of Noviscape Consulting Group or the Rockefeller Foundation. Copyright © Trendsoutheast 2009 - 2012. All Rights Reserved.

11 Northern traditional music CD trader in Kongta market.

The Jurassic Park “Jurassic Park”, is a place to exhibit extinct creatures – like the Dinosaurs. All of these pre-historic creatures are only remaining and need high 3D technology in order to create the robot dinosaurs. Similar to the Dinosaurs, a contemporary cultural phenomenon has resulted from the struggle between global and local culture, and the globalization of capitalism and modernism. A culture with a high rigidity against adaptation will become extinct, while the local culture that is capable of adapting will survive. The first group will be completely eliminated and will take its place in the museum for someone who has nostalgia, or will be commercialized through the entertainment industry, e.g. there has been a trend in historical movies in Thailand (Naraesuan, the movie – a series of heroic kings in the Ayudhaya era), or water puppetry (Múa rối nước), an 11th century tradition from Vietnam in which puppets dance on water. The local and sub-local cultures that are capable of adapting may be faced with two pathways that could lead to cultural mutation. Firstly, a stream of development and globalization invade the local or sub-local culture, and the globalization process transforms the community and its culture to serve the mainstream touristic demand, particularly in major and popular destinations for cultural tourism, e.g. Pai, a small district in Mae Hong son; Kongta market in Lampang, Thailand; Madalay Palace in Myanmar, an old quarter of Penang that is full of artistic and well-preserved overseas Chinese houses; and Intramuros, the old quarter of Manila. Secondly, insufficient economic resources and development will force the local people, ethnic minorities, and indigenous peoples to scatter around other places in order to find some earnings for themselves and their families. For example, the Thai-Yuan ethnic groups from Lanna, the upper northern region of Thailand, have been scattered across many regions as the result of political conflict, war, and development policies from the central government of Thailand, along with pressures from globalization and technology (American Journal Scientific Research, 2012). Some of their deep-rooted traditions have already disappeared, while the younger generation of Thai-Yuan neglects their cultural values and the importance of their own identity and traditions. Not only their cultures, but also the people themselves will be swallowed up by the globalization and capitalism stream. This is an alarm signal of cultural loss in the future.

DRIVERS & INHIBITORS Viable culture Preservation of culture is important. But it doesn’t mean that we should preserve culture as dead people. We should preserve culture as viable people. We need collaboration from many actors, for example, government, local people, and the private sector in order to preserve culture creatively. History can increase the value of culture and create the mysterious. The mysterious has a high potential to attract tourists. Promoting and creating an in-depth information portal about ASEAN heritage parks for intra-regional and international tourists can be a good way to build a bridge for the community and authority to work together.

Embracing the indigenous peoples The inter-active Park Tourists are key players. They will have a significant role and responsibility in the inter-active Park and get some knowledge, experiences and memories in return. All stakeholders, the central government, the tourism companies, the local or sub-local people, and the tourists form a partnership and collaborate. All share opinions and make a framework for the decision-making process together. The central government supports the local or sub-local and promotes tourism. The advantage from tourism is a part of the tourism receipts and a fair wealth distribution. The tourism companies promote tourism and get some profit. The local and sub-local people produce a tourism commodity and preserve their cultures. They get a part of the tourism receipts and development in the community. Tourists have to participate, learn and preserve the local or sub-local cultures and natural attractions. They get a new experience and sustainable tourism places in return. This scenario is a win-win situation for all stakeholders. Tourism shouldn’t be the cause of cultural destruction, but it should be a cultural diversity promoter. Some initiatives are already in place for this.

Although local peoples in Southeast Asia have been suffering from tourism for a long time, indigenous peoples have been suffering more than them. Most of them have no citizenship and have no right to access public goods. Their culture has some attraction for tourists. However, central government treats them as tourism goods, not human. This old strategy isn’t appropriate in this globalization and capitalism world. We need a new business strategy including the indigenous peoples as stakeholders, as decision-makers and producers. The old strategy is partly due to cultural conflict and culture shock. Educating and doing research on the subcultures, to understand the contemporary core values in society and other needs will be a good help to resolve such conflict.

For example, ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan 2011-2015 is creating a Roadmap to preserve authentic, responsible and sustainable tourism by working effectively with a wide range of stakeholders. The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office, an organization supported by The Greater Mekong Sub-region and Asian Development Bank, has launched many projects for sustainable tourism, pro-poor tourism, eco-tourism, and marketing in the Mekong Sub-region. They have also published some successful case studies of local villages in Cambodia, Laos, etc. UNWTO has created a tourism and poverty alleviation plan for Africa.

Lampang art house by Niyom Pattamasevi foundation in Kongta market.

• UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) 2007. • High competition in tourism market. • Social Media, a virtual channel for young generation to exhibit and promote their own subculture. They will easily learn about and study cross cultural life-styles from people all over the world.

REFERENCES

George E.W., Mair, H., Reid, D.G. (2009). Rural Tourism Development: Localism and Cultural Change, Channel View Publication. Johansen T. E. (2011). Ethnic revitalization, cultural growth and commodification. Indigenous festivals and events in Troms Country in Norway, Harstad University College. Khunnium A., Somtrakool K., Nuambunlue S. (2012). Tai-Yuan Ethnic Groups in Central Thailand: A study of Cultural Knowledge for Preservation and Development of Lifestyle, American Journal of Scientific Research, Issue 67, pp.135-142. http://www.aseansec.org/19595.htm http://www.tourism-master.nl/2010/10/31/culture-for-sale-commoditisation-in-tourism/

REFERENCES

http://www.unep.fr/scp/tourism/activities/taskforce/pdf/fact%20sheets%20pdf/-ST-EP.pdf

http://www.tourism-master.nl/2011/11/25/authenticity-and-commodification-inchanging-tourism-trends/ http://coast.iwlearn.org/project-documents-reports/coastal-tourism-project-documents/ demo-project-coordinator-training-manual/english-version/2010.02.02%20 UNWTO%20STEP%20Prog%20overview%20presentation.pdf http://www.aippnet.org/docs/hr/ASEAN%20BRIEFING%20PAPER_print_Foma;.pdf http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/travel/news/human-zoo-opens-in-thailand/storye6frezi0-1111116382820 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6898241.stm http://www.scotsman.com/news/international/zoo-sparks-row-over-tribesmen-propsfor-animals-1-715365

ABOUT THE AUTHORS Mr. Kan Yuenyong is a co-founder and executive director of Siam Intelligence Unit (SIU), a private think tank and research service on various social, environment, business and economic issues in Thailand. He studied Computer Science and Economics, and has graduated with a Masters of Public Administration (MPA) from Chulalongkorn University. His strength is in the ability to synthesize multidisciplinary backgrounds together. He is now studying in the advanced certificate course on Promotion of Peaceful Society (class 3) at King Prajadhipok’s Institute.

IMPLICATIONS ASEAN has many cultural commodities to offer international tourism. There are many active regional competitors in the Community, and there will be an increasing demand for new business strategies and tourism innovation. In this sense, the mainstream culture is a big company, while the local cultures and sub-local cultures are the small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) who have limited budgets and facilities. There should be a mechanism to transform culture into a more attractive story and embrace all indigenous people into this win-win game.

• International Organizations recognize the importance of diversity of culture, and the diversity of ethnic groups. The regional market, especially an ASEAN cultural tourism campaign, can draw attention from people outside the region to stay longer and spend more. Normally, tourism will provide benefit directly to the grassroots people that live in the tourism area.

Indigenous people inclusion in Indonesia. Some rights reserved by CIFOR.

Mr. Pakpoom Saengkanokkul is a Prachatai columnist and Junior Analyst for Noviscape Consulting Group. He graduated with a Master’s degree in social and health organization management from the University of Paris 13, and has a Master’s degree of health economics from the University of Paris 5. He is a Ph.D. student in health economics at the University of Paris 5, and is interested in inequality of health care systems.

INTERVIEW BY DR. PUN-ARJ CHAIRATANA Managing Director, Noviscape Consulting Group

As former Minister of Tourism and Sports in Thailand, what current tourism trends do you see and how do they affect government policy and financial institutions in Southeast Asia? “In ASEAN countries, the economy and size of the middle class are growing, allowing for more travel. The amount of European and American travelers remains roughly the same as in the past two decades. Southeast Asia has been seen often on television since the Vietnam War and previous visitor’s have had positive experiences with local people; this helps to explain the high rate of return travelers. In addition, the low cost of traveling in parts of Southeast Asia and the growth of budget airlines makes the region more attractive, than say, Southern Europe or the Mediterranean. Because of this, new regional and international airports are being built or already existing ones enlarged.” “Most governments currently lack sufficient public policies related to increasing tourism. There is no policy for the appropriate distribution of tourism income to all segments of society. With the proper distribution, this could help create programs to aid the poor and needy. Many tourists travel to Southeast Asia from the oil-rich Middle-East. These are potential investors in the country, yet there is no strategy to convert tourists to investors. In addition to all of the above, there has been a large increase in the number of travelers from African nations. With all of these people coming to Southeast Asia, can the governments ensure sufficient infrastructure to support them? How will the government prevent things such as overcrowding and destruction of natural and historic areas?” “Banking and financial institutions in Southeast Asia need to adapt to changes in the economies. Unfortunately, they have been shown to lack the flexibility needed to support necessary industries. For instance, even though agriculture has been a mainstay of Asian countries, there has been insufficient funding for the industry. Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs provide 80% to 90% of tourism services. If financial institutions do not have the proper understanding of the emerging tourism industry, they will not be able to properly support SMEs. In return, SMEs will find it difficult to upgrade standards and services, continuing a pattern of high-risk-high-return business practices, with high failure rates.”

W I T H Mr. Weerasak Kowsurat

You mention above that the poor can benefit from increases in tourism. How should they be involved?

“The poor should get involved with creation of public policy. However, this is difficult. How do we get the poor to participate in policy-making? It is difficult because it involves many meetings, distributing agendas in advance, and educating and providing information to those poor in order to participate.”

13 as be booked and paid for there. So, digital media saves people time.”

The poor are looking at ways to improve their situations. Some farmers are converting their farms into hostels or tourist attractions. What is your opinion on this?

“This has happened in many countries in the world. Through digital media, local farmers and communities can see examples of how others have done this and then decide what is best for their area. The government should be supportive of this, without dictating what to do.” “Adapting to new ideas and ways takes time. There has to be room for mistakes, in order to learn and succeed. If you look at Korea’s creative industries over the last 10 years, there have been many successes. Tourism and the service industry in Southeast Asia will not change overnight, but with time and energy it will gradually adapt and improve.”

Do you have any examples of participatory public-policy-making in this region?

Stiglitz discusses the combination of the service economy and creative industries in his latest book. With that in mind, what is your opinion about linking human development policies pertaining to the poor, and serviceoriented policies, based on your experiences with the Ministries of Tourism, Culture, and Human Development and Security?

“40 years ago Thailand shifted from an agriculturebased economy to an early stage industrialized economy. Now we are moving to a more service provider economy. However, farming is still a large part of our economy. Therefore, we will have to help the farmers adapt to the service industry.”

What should be the role of political parties regarding tourism, not only in Thailand but also other countries in the region?

“Many governments have made it clear that travelling through their countries will be prioritized. Thailand has announced “Visit Thailand year” several times. Malaysia, India, Singapore and Macau have invested heavily in marketing, showing how they welcome foreigners. I think everybody wants tourism, because it basically provides income to their country with small investment.”

“Pattaya, Samui, and Phuket are examples in Thailand. Pattaya, a very active beach area, has had past issues with the rule of law, but is now more law abiding. By installing ‘water traffic lights’ they have made water activities, like boating, safer. They have improved the sewer system, thus improving the local ecology. Local people on Samui are working on a Green Initiative for the island. Both on Samui and Phuket, they are trying to develop new ways to manage limited resources.” “Even with the three locations listed above, Thailand has not been very successful in getting the poor to participate in developing public policy, implementing it, or getting them a greater share in the distribution of income. This needs to be improved.”

How do digital media affect trends in tourism in this region? “It makes planning a trip easier and shorter. Previously, people needed to have travel brochures and book with a travel agent. Today, most information can be found on the web, as well

“The digital divide is one of the most important issues facing the poor. However, it is one of the best ways to get a message out to the world. Getting people access and familiarity with the technology is important. From there, they can advertise their advantages and the uniqueness of their destinations and attractions.”

Above, you describe a bottom-up policymaking model, but how?

“People need to see examples, both the good and the bad. Bring some to their attention and give them time to review the examples and develop suggestions. Allow them several opportunities to make suggestions. The government should invest in some of the ideas to show interest and support. This will encourage “Creative Tourism”, original ideas grown locally.”

How would the poor use digital media to improve their situation, when it comes to tourism?

About

MR. WEERASAK KOWSURAT Mr. Kowsurat was the former tourism minister of Thailand and the former chairman of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). He also held various cabinet positions, e.g. a Vice Minister for Culture between 2003 and 2004, Vice Minister for Social Development and Human Security between 2002 and 2003, Chairman of the Advisory committee to Minister of Social Development and Human Security, and the Advisor to the Minister of Labour and Social Welfare. He was the Executive Director of Chartthai Party and was elected as a Member of Parliament. He received his Masters degree in International Economics Law from Harvard Law School, Harvard University and a Bachelor of Law from Chulalongkorn University. His latest post was the director of the International Institute for Trade and Development (ITD).

Dr. Pun-Arj Chairatana Dr. Apiwat Ratanawaraha Mr. Kan Yuenyong

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Dr. Donald Arthur Johnson

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Mr. Preeda Chaiyanajit

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Mr. Pakpoom Saengkanokkul

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Regional Horizon / Environment Scanning (HS/ES) and trend monitoring for issues relevant to people. life, and regional transformation across the Sotheast Asian region. Dr. Apiwat Ratanawaraha Ms. Ashley E. Pritchard Dr. Pun-Arj Chairatana Mr. Kan Yuenyong Mr. Pakpoom Saengkanokkul

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