From rivals to partners: PATA pitches “Super 10” plan for East Asia

CEBU, Philippines — East Asia’s tourism destinations need to move beyond competing for the same pool of visitors and instead work together to expand the regional market, according to Noor Ahmad Hamid, chief executive of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).

Speaking at the Governors’ Conference yesterday during the 19th East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Federation (EATOF) General Assembly at the Mactan Expo Center, Hamid said the challenge facing the bloc was to turn a network of tourism destinations into an alliance capable of creating greater economic value.

EATOF brings together 10 regional governments from 10 Asian countries: Gangwon in South Korea, Tottori in Japan, Jilin in China, Töv in Mongolia, Cebu in the Philippines, Sarawak in Malaysia, Yogyakarta in Indonesia, Quang Ninh in Vietnam, Luang Prabang in Laos and Siem Reap in Cambodia.

The diversity of the membership is precisely its strength, Hamid said. But he argued that the federation would need to deepen co-operation if it was to capitalize on growing travel demand while navigating geopolitical tensions, climate risks, changing consumer behaviour and rapid technological change.

“We are 10 destinations, 10 cultures, 10 different identities, but with one common question: how do you unlock the next era of tourism growth?” Hamid said.

His answer was a “Super 10” model — 10 destinations acting with a collective purpose while retaining their individual identities.

“Co-operate where we must, but collaborate where we can,” he said.

The idea challenges a traditional approach to tourism promotion in which destinations compete for the same airline routes, international events, media attention and visitors. Hamid said the industry had too often treated tourism as a zero-sum contest.

“What if destinations stop competing for the same visitors and start growing the market together?” he said. “Instead of fighting over a bigger slice of the cake, what if we work together to make the cake bigger?”

The argument is particularly relevant in East Asia, where regional destinations remain unevenly connected despite their geographical proximity. Hamid cited the journey between Cebu and Kuching, which can take nearly 20 hours despite both cities being part of the wider regional tourism network.

Such gaps in air links, visa procedures, airport experience and local mobility can undermine the region’s appeal more than any shortage of marketing campaigns, he said.

Travellers do not necessarily view the region through the administrative boundaries that shape government tourism strategies.

A visitor from Europe or North America is more likely to see East Asia as a journey through different cultures and experiences than as a collection of competing provinces, Hamid said.

The federation, he argued, could therefore package its diversity as a strategic advantage. Cebu’s beaches, Luang Prabang’s heritage, Gangwon’s mountains, Sarawak’s biodiversity and Siem Reap’s cultural assets could form part of broader multi-destination itineraries rather than competing products.

The proposed “Super 10” model would rest on five principles: sharing knowledge, connecting products and experiences, promoting the region jointly, learning from one another and growing together.

That could involve joint market intelligence, product development, storytelling and global promotion, as well as investment in skills and digital capabilities. Hamid said competition in tourism was increasingly determined not by the size of promotional budgets but by data, connectivity, technology and the ability to respond quickly to market shifts.

The pressure to collaborate is likely to intensify as the region confronts challenges that individual destinations cannot easily manage alone, including geopolitical disruptions, extreme weather, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity risks.

“No destination can manage all of these alone,” Hamid said.

The aim, he added, should be to turn EATOF from an organization that meets periodically into one that creates value continuously for its member governments, tourism industries and local communities.

EATOF, established in 2000 and led by Gangwon, will mark its 20th anniversary next year. Hamid said the milestone should be used to redefine the next phase of regional tourism co-operation.

The central question, he said, was not which destination could attract more visitors than its neighbors, but what the 10 destinations could achieve collectively that none could accomplish alone.