(Eagle News) — The standardization of skills required in Association of Southeast Asian Nation’s tourism industry will take a big step forward at a unique conference in August.
Government ministers from around ASEAN will join with tourism industry stakeholders to launch the Mutual Recognition Arrangement for Tourism Professionals(MRA-TP) at the International Conference on MRA-TP in Jakarta, from August 8-9.
The standardization and benchmarking of skills affects 32 job profiles in tourism and hospitality among the 10 ASEAN member states.
The adoption of the agreement at the conference will boost service standards and encourage Intra-ASEAN mobility among tourism employees.
The new benchmarking will affect jobs in hotels such as front office, housekeeping, food and beverage services, as well as tour operations, food production and travel agencies.
In 2002, ASEAN leaders agreed to upgrade tourism education curricula and skills and formulate competency standards and certification agreements that would be mutually recognized across the region.
Now, with 32 job types benchmarked, 52 qualifications initiated and 242 training ‘toolboxes’ created for ASEAN, accompanied by trainers and skill assessors together with its registration system, the MRA-TP process can now be formally ratified in Jakarta.