Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office : AAPA Joins WTTC in Call for ASEAN Infrastructure Investment

Asia's booming tourism industry, a key force driving the region's economies, has triggered calls for governments to boost investments in vital infrastructure to ensure the industry remains sustainable.

Andrew Herdman. Jan Shim Photography. Source: shimworld.wordpress.com/tag/54th-assembly-of-presidents/

Andrew Herdman, director general of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA), said Asia's economic growth and rising local incomes had supported robust growth but added that the industry faces challenges in meeting capacity with additional aviation infrastructure.

'The challenges are whether the infrastructure keeps up - and by infrastructure we mean airports, runaways, terminals, slot capacity, and air navigation - we've got congested airspace and there are some challenges around the region - it's a global problem,' Mr Herdman said.

AAPA has now joined the World Travel and Tourism Council in calling on Southeast Asian governments to ensure they have the infrastructure in place to cater to future demand, especially from the region and China.

Full story, including brief summaries of Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand, at VOA.