ASEAN Day and the Fate of Tourism Workers within the Mutual Recognition Agreement Framework
The Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) is an arrangement that allows for the recognition of professional qualifications and skills among ASEAN member states. In the tourism sector, the MRA is crucial as it enables the mobility of professional workers throughout the region. The MRA for Tourism Professionals, signed in 2012, aims to enhance the standards and qualifications of tourism professionals in ASEAN and facilitate the mobility of skilled workers in areas such as hotel management, tour guiding, and other related professions.
Benefits of MRA for Tourism Workers
The MRA offers various benefits to tourism workers in ASEAN. First, it increases cross-border employment opportunities. With standardized recognition of qualifications, a tourism professional from Indonesia, for example, can work in Thailand or Vietnam without undergoing a complicated re-certification process. This opens up broader and more diverse job opportunities for skilled workers in the region.
Second, the MRA encourages an improvement in the quality of the workforce. With regionally recognized qualification standards, workers are required to achieve and maintain high standards in their expertise. This benefits not only individual workers but also the tourism industry as a whole, as higher quality services will attract more tourists to the ASEAN region.
Challenges in Implementing MRA
However, the implementation of the MRA in the ASEAN tourism sector also faces challenges. One major obstacle is the disparity in education and training standards among member states. Although there is an agreement on minimum standards, their application at the national level is often inconsistent. Some countries may have more advanced education and training systems compared to others, which can lead to competency gaps among workers from different countries.
Additionally, there are administrative and bureaucratic challenges. The process of cross-border qualification recognition still encounters regulatory barriers that can slow down worker mobility. Each country has different procedures and requirements, often requiring additional time and costs for workers to meet.
Competition Among Member States in Tourism
The tourism sector is highly competitive in ASEAN. Each country strives to attract as many international tourists as possible, given the significant contribution of tourism to national economies. This competition has both positive and negative impacts on tourism workers in the region.
On the positive side, competition among member states can drive improvements in tourism services and infrastructure. Countries like Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore have long been known as major tourist destinations in ASEAN, but other countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines are continuously striving to enhance their competitiveness. These quality improvements can create more job opportunities and improve the welfare of tourism workers.
However, intense competition can also put pressure on workers. To remain competitive, countries may demand that workers exert more effort, without always offering proportional compensation. Additionally, tourism workers in less developed countries may face greater challenges in meeting the qualification standards set by the MRA, potentially hindering their mobility.
Reflection on ASEAN Day and Future Challenges
ASEAN Day provides an opportunity to reflect on achievements and challenges within the ASEAN framework, including the fate of tourism workers in the region. The Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) in the tourism sector opens up significant opportunities for labor mobility and quality enhancement, but it also faces implementation challenges. Competition among member states in tourism can drive quality improvements but also creates pressures for workers. To fully realize the benefits of the MRA, close cooperation and commitment from all ASEAN member states are needed to ensure fair standards and effective implementation.
For Indonesia, the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) can be optimized to address various future challenges. Indonesia should focus on several strategies, including:
First, the MRA enables the recognition of tourism workers’ qualifications across ASEAN. Indonesia must continue to improve the quality of tourism education and training, ensuring that graduates possess regionally recognized skills and certifications.
Second, Indonesia needs to strengthen internationally recognized tourism competency standards. This can be achieved by harmonizing tourism education curricula with ASEAN standards and enhancing the accreditation of training institutions.
Third, improving tourism infrastructure, such as airports, ports, and transportation networks, which support easy access for ASEAN tourists. Good accessibility will increase Indonesia’s attractiveness as a top destination.
Fourth, encouraging innovation in tourism services, including the adoption of digital technology to enhance tourist experiences, such as the use of travel apps, digital payments, and AI-based services.
Fifth, developing partnerships and collaborations with other ASEAN member states for labor exchange and best practices in tourism. This can create mutually beneficial synergies and strengthen regional competitiveness.
The author hopes that these ideas can inspire policymakers to continuously improve and innovate to open up as many job opportunities as possible across various sectors, including tourism workers who can now engage not only at the national, regional, but also international levels.
Achmad Zulfikar is Tourism and Labor Policies Analyst, a Researcher at the Center for Digital and Global Studies (CERDIGS), and a Managerial Board Member of the Global Studies Division at the Indonesian Productive House Association (RPI). He also teach university students on Research Methodology at Makassar Tourism Polytechnic (Poltekpar)
This articles already published on August, 9 2024 in Indonesian version entitled “ASEAN Day dan Nasib Pekerja Pariwisata dalam Kerangka Mutual Recognition Agreement” on globalindonews.com