INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MUTUAL RECOGNITION

ARRANGEMENT ON TOURISM PROFESSIONALS

8-9 Aug 2016 / Jakarta, Indonesia

Guidelines for Ministers Forum

Dear Minister and Head of Delegates,

First of all, we would like to thank you for your forthcoming participation in the International
Conference on Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Tourism Professionals (MRA-TP).

Moderated by Mr. Dalton Tanonaka, CEO of the Indonesia Chanel and Former anchor of CNN and CNBC
Asia, the Ministers Forum on the MRA-TP will focus on policies related to infrastructure, Quality
Assurance, Standards, and Collaboration among the stakeholders of MRA-TP Implementation

The guideline is created to ensure that the Minsters Forum flows smoothly in time and structure,
thereby ensuring that your intervention receives the highest possible level of support and attention.
Observance to the guidelines is recommended.

General:

- The Forum is constituted of an interactive panel discussion led by Mr. Dalton Tanonaka

- Panellists are not expected to make formal presentations/interventions or to use PowerPoint slides.

- At the start of the discussion, the moderator will briefly introduce all ministers / head of delegates
attending the Forum.

- The moderator will manage the session, indicating who should speak from the panel and from the
audience, thereby ensuring a lively debate and interaction between Ministers attending the Forum.

- Should there be any additional issues to be highlighted, theses could be given to co-coordinator
prior to the session. Below are the programme of the event as well as the list of ministers/panellists
participating in the Forum.

- Answers to the questions should not exceed 3 minutes per person.

- For easier coordination and smooth arrangement, we kindly invite ministers representatives to join
the moderator and other speakers prior to the Forum at 4:00PM at the Conference venue hotel.

Stage set-up and media coverage:

- The stage set-up will be lounge seating in half circular form.

- The entire Forum will be filmed and photographs will also be taken during the event.
- Conclusions, photos and video will appear on www.aseantourism.travel.
 International Conference on MRA-TP

Confirmed Panellists of Ministerial Forum (06.08.16)

1. Cambodia
2. Indonesia
3. Malaysia
4. Thailand

Please do not hesitate to contact us in case of any doubts or comments.

Eddy Krismeidi, ASEAN Secretariat: eddy@asean.org

Ms. Sophea Sok, Co-Coordinator of the Conference: Sophea.nctp@gmail.com

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 Topics for discussion

Background
MRA Work Plan 2010-2015, Grand Launching of the Implementation of MRA on Tourism
Professionals
The Agreement on Establishment of Regional Secretariat of MRA-TP has been fully signed.
Implementation MRA-TP including the Regional Secretariat depend on the support of a wide
range of partners for its effectiveness and sustainability, it was considered necessary to
organise a two-day international conference to mark the opening of the Regional
Secretariat.
The International Conference will introduce the concept of the MRA-TP and the Regional
Secretariat to key stakeholders such as tourism training and education institutions, industry,
officials from other sectors that have the interest to establish similar MRA, other non-ASEAN
countries and international organisations.
The International Conference is considered a crucial activity to promote the implementation
of MRA-TP, including the ATPRS.
The introduction of the ATPRS is expected to trigger initial buy-in from the hotel associations
and the tourism professionals, increasing the potential self-sustaining capacity of the
Regional Secretariat.

International Conference on MRA-TP

The Conference will address wide range areas of mutual interest and challenges faced by ASEAN
Member States, particularly on following:
a) Expansion of MRA-TP to cover other areas, such as job-titles of Meeting, Incentive,
Conference and Exhibition (MICE);
b) Usage of English as basic communication requirement for implementation of MRA-TP
including possible establishment of mechanism to assist potential trainees to fulfil this
requirement;
c) Facilitate and support potential participation of training and education institutions in
respective ASEAN Member States;
d) Strengthen collaboration amongst industry, training and education institutions, and
governments through respective National Tourism Professional Board (NTPB) to Facilitate the
exchange of best practices with the view to harmonizing and updating regional and/or
international tourism competencies and curricula; and
e) Improve facilitation on registration for ASEAN Tourism Professional and related stakeholders
through ASEAN Tourism Professional Registration System.

Possible policy issues to be raised in the Ministerial Forum:

1. Overall development of tourism including job creation
2. The roles of qualified Tourism Professionals to support the member states in achieving
ASEAN as the Quality Tourism Destination;
3. Challenges faced in further enhancing quality of tourism professionals to strengthen tourism
industry
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 4. Whether MRA-TP could play a role in contributing to tourism professional quality and
quantity in respective countries
5. The possibility of expanding scope of the ASEAN MRA-TP to other qualifications including
MICE, Spa and Wellness;
6. The need of early establishment of the Regional Secretariat to implement the MRA-TP;
7. The legal framework and relevant issues to support MRA-TP implementation and regional
mobility;
8. The significance of collaboration and support amongst the stakeholders including training
and education institutions, industry, and international development agencies to further
strengthening the implementing the ASEAN MRA-TP;
9. The possibility of having the international conference on MRA-TP every two years hosted by
Member States on voluntary based by having sessions in parallel and exhibition of training
education and tourism institutions.
10. Way forward in strengthening implementation of MRA-TP

*****Note: During the discussion the moderator will ask other Ministers attending the Forum to
comment and/or add to the issues being discussed by the panel of speakers in previous sessions as to
make the forum more interactive and engage participation.

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