
The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic reversed decades of robust tourism growth in Southeast Asia, causing widespread business closures and millions of job losses. While the pause in travel and tourism has brought economic hardship and isolation to many communities, it also offers a unique opportunity for industry stakeholders to address the structural issues undermining sustainability in the region.
The Southeast Asia Sustainable Tourism Hub is anchored in ADB’s Southeast Asia Department, Urban Development and Water Division. It brings together diverse expertise from within and outside of ADB to help clients develop and finance innovative tourism projects, build destination management capacity, and provide knowledge solutions that align with ADB Strategy 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. Our regional perspective, strong country presence, and partnerships enable us to deliver quality development solutions for Southeast Asia’s tourism industry.

Operations

The technical assistance facility will help countries in Southeast Asia prepare sustainable tourism projects and catalyze financing to support them. It supports regional priorities to revive tourism, develop green and resilient urban and transport infrastructure in secondary cities, accelerate inclusive digital transformations, and mobilize domestic resources.

The project is financing climate-resilient roads, water transport infrastructure, urban infrastructure, and capacity development needed to boost and better manage tourism in Cambodia’s coastal areas, Lao PDR’s Champasak, Luang Prabang, and Vientiane Provinces, and several secondary towns in Viet Nam.
The Community-Based Tourism COVID-19 Recovery Project will help communities in Preah Vihear and Takeo provinces generate local jobs and income by improving tourism services infrastructure, enhancing visitor experiences, and strengthening tourism supply chain linkages.
News and Events

Digitizing visitor registration data and tracking the collection of environmental user fees in real-time using smart technologies could help the Island Garden City of Samal better manage tourism.

New opportunities are emerging for net-zero tourism as travelers in Asia and the Pacific now demand sustainable options and are willing to spend more to shrink their carbon footprint as well as support local communities.

Tourism officials from Southeast Asia learn about smart tourism technologies in the Republic of Korea.
Publications

This brief shows how bookings for non-hotel rooms via platforms such as Airbnb have soared in Southeast Asia and why stronger regulation can help maintain quality standards, increase tax revenue, and maximize local economic benefits.

This publication follows heavy losses of passenger traffic due to COVID-19, the resurgence of Southeast Asia's aviation market is vital to regional recovery, so this report reveals strategies to help ADB members rebuild a greener, more resilient aviation industry.

This publication examines tourism in Asia and the Pacific and how to reset the sector to contribute more effectively to the Sustainable Development Goals.
Contact and Team

Steven Schipani
Principal Tourism Industry Specialist

Alely A. Bernardo
Senior Financing Partnerships Specialist

Dang Thuy Trang
Senior Urban Development Specialist

Anna Fink
Country Economist, Indonesia

Do Nhat Hoang
Senior Project Officer (Urban Development)

Elizabeth Haeri Jung
Urban Development Specialist

Leonard H. Leung
Natural Resources and Agriculture Economist

Nguyen Thanh Giang
Senior Social Development Officer (Gender)

Nida Ouk
Senior Project Officer

Jay Roop
Principal Country Specialist, Thailand

Wouter Schalken
Senior Sustainable Tourism Specialist

Phoxay Xayyavong
Senior Social Sector Officer