BANGKOK – A high-tech travel website, SoutheastAsia.org, will serve as the anchor for a new destination marketing campaign for Southeast Asia.
When launched on January 25, the site will allow users to research, plan, and book multiple-destination trips to and within the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
It will also have a special section for travel agents and others in the travel trade. Travel suppliers are being encouraged to submit content now.
SoutheastAsia.org is the product of a three-way alliance signed between Singapore-based Wego, the ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA), and the Bangkok-based ASEAN Competitiveness Enhancement (ACE) Project.
The ACE Project is funded by United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Regional Development Mission Asia.
ACE aims to help ASEAN enhance the integration and competitiveness of its travel and tourism sectors.
“One of our strategies for enhancing the competitiveness of ASEAN tourism is to encourage more travel suppliers to participate online to take better advantage of regional integration and marketing efforts,†said ACE project director, R J Gurley.
SoutheastAsia.org will feature a meta-search capability that will search dozens of sites before presenting results integrated into an interactive map and trip planner.
The trip planner is being developed by Wego.com based on its existing meta-search technology.
“The trip planner will draw upon the great variety of bookable flights, hotels and innovative itineraries that are available in the region,†said Wego’s CEO, Martin Symes.
Wego and ACE will share the trip planner’s development and integration costs. ACE will cover the website’s development costs.
Wego will host and maintain SoutheastAsia.org on its state-of-the-art servers. Wego and ASEANTA will share the revenues generated by the trip planner.
The website will include a forum for user-generated content, such as travel tips, trip anecdotes, photos and videos.
Much of the content on SoutheastAsia.org is being built around niche themes such as ecotourism, train travel, cultural sightseeing, and cruising.
“Visitors will be able to research, plan and book experiences ranging from stays in village guest houses, trekking and mountain biking in the hills, all the way to pampering in luxury beach resorts and spas,†Gurley said.
SoutheastAsia.org will have a soft launch during the ASEAN Tourism Forum in Brunei, January 21-28.
During the event, partners will announce a new destination marketing brand and campaign.
