The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is planning to adopt a single visa system enabling people to visit any of the group’s 10 member states on a single visa. The single visa system, Jakarta-based ASEAN believes that a single visitor visa policy would enhance the tourism experience in the region, boosting arrivals to member states.
The one visa program has strong support from the so-called ‘Plus 3’ countries of China, Japan and South Korea. ASEAN is also moving towards the implementation of an open skies aviation policy, which is scheduled to come into force in 2015. A unified ASEAN aviation market means that airlines would be able to fly freely over the region, transporting passengers between member states without limits imposed by individual governments in terms of routes, frequencies, airlines or aircraft types.
The plans have some obstacles to overcome, however, not least the inclusion of Myanmar, and local cross border disputes, including the situation between Cambodia and Thailand.
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