The tourism industry in ASEAN countries is currently having a significant growth regarding the diversity of the way of life, cultures, traditions, and tourist attractions in each member country. However, one of the issues that ASEAN countries have been encountering so far is the status of being developing countries which leads to the unharmonious tourism standards in these countries.
For this reason, all 10 member countries in ASEAN region have agreed to sign an ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Tourism Professionals (ASEAN MRA on TP: MRA-TP) with an objective to facilitate the tourism labor transfer within ASEAN region by elevating tourism professional competencies and developing their levels of proficiencies under the same measurement system. In addition, the system implemented among the member countries must be mandatorily recognized at an international level. For the actions in Thailand, Dusit Thani College, Thailand’s leading higher education in hospitality businesses under Dusit International, was trusted by Department of Tourism, Ministry of Tourism and Sports to oversee the formulation of standards, criteria, and manuals for national training and assessment centers in Thailand as well as being a Master Assessor to certify national tourism professional training and assessment centers in this project.
Additionally, Dusit Thani College has recently organized an opening ceremony for tourism professional assessment following ASEAN Common Competency Standards for Tourism Professionals under ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Tourism Professionals at Srinakarin Hall, Dusit Thani College Bangkok. The event was chaired by Mr. Boonserm Khankaew, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Tourism, and Mrs. Patthanasiri Salyasiri Ewtoksan, Director at Division of Tourism Professional Development, with a warm welcome from Dr. Atthawet Prougestaporn, Acting Rector of Dusit Thani College, and Dr. Praweena Kasai, Dean of Faculty of Culinary Arts at Dusit Thani College.
In the opening ceremony, Dr. Atthawet Prougestaporn, Acting Rector of Dusit Thani College, said Dusit Thani College envisioned such the importance of making and developing high-quality labors that it dedicated itself to providing supreme learning management both in theories and practices by experienced instructors in the field of hospitality and tourism. It also encouraged students to gain more experience from practical situations in real settings, which is the core idea of Competency Based Education.
“Meanwhile, Dusit Thani College is resolute in mastering tourism professionals alongside this project. We believe that ASEAN MRA on TP will reinforce the establishment of standardized certification for tourism professionals which is accepted among the industry. This will lead to the credibility, transparency, and the motivation of skilled labors as well as a better shift in Thailand’s competency level at national and international levels.”
For those who pass the assessment, they will receive a certification which can guarantee a high level of competency and allow them to legally work in other ASEAN member countries at their own choices. This is considered the formulation of tourism professional standards at a comparable level to the international ones, affecting the advancement of ASEAN tourism industry accordingly. Dusit Thani College is grateful to be a part that develops ASEAN tourism industry on this occasion.
