ASEAN Tourism Association

What ASEAN Tourism Association does

ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA) is a non-profit membership organization founded on 27 March 1971 to develop and promote tourism across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Headquartered within Malaysia's Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture building in Putrajaya, ASEANTA functions as the recognized associated entity of ASEAN under the ASEAN Charter, convening both private and public tourism stakeholders. Its membership comprises 25 organizations spanning national tourism associations, hotel and restaurant associations, airlines, and National Tourism Organizations (NTOs) from all ten ASEAN member states — Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

ASEANTA's product portfolio is programmatic rather than technological: it owns and operates the annual ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), the accompanying TRAVEX travel exchange, the newly launched ASEAN Travel Exchange (ATEX) B2B platform, and the ASEANTA Excellence Awards (currently in its 34th edition, with 12 categories covering marketing, cultural preservation, sustainability, and innovation). Core technology is explicitly characterized as not applicable — the association is not a software or platform company and provides no APIs, apps, SDKs, or proprietary data products. Distribution is driven by flagship events, the ASEANTA website, and earned media through travel trade publications including Travel Weekly Asia, TTG Asia, Travel and Tour World, Bernama, and The Star.

ASEANTA's business model rests on membership dues (pricing not publicly disclosed), event sponsorships and registrations tied to ATF/ATEX/TRAVEX, and the awards program, with operations supported by a lean secretariat. Strategic priorities captured in 2025 include product expansion through ATEX, geographic rotation of ATF to the Philippines in 2026, leadership continuity under a re-elected 2025–2027 President, and positioning around an ASEAN tourism market projected to grow at 4.94% annually toward a $31.5 billion revenue base in 2024.

Name

ASEAN Tourism Association

Legal name

ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA)

Website

https://aseanta.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA) is a non-profit, ASEAN-Charter-recognized association founded in 1971 that convenes 25 national tourism associations, hotel associations, airlines, and NTOs from all ten ASEAN member states through flagship events — ATF, TRAVEX, ATEX, and the Excellence Awards — plus advocacy, training, and membership services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tourism Industry Association

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

International Economic & Trade Cooperation Organizations (BPADAAAC)

Keywords

• Tourism industry association
• Regional tourism advocacy
• B2B travel trade events
• Tourism training and education
• Destination marketing promotion

Headquarters

HQ city

Putrajaya

HQ country

Malaysia

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ASEANTA is a non-profit membership association that represents, advocates for, and connects tourism stakeholders across the ten ASEAN member states. It delivers the annual ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) and TRAVEX/ATEX travel trade events, runs the ASEANTA Excellence Awards program, provides industry training and education, and promotes ASEAN as a single unified tourism destination to member organizations such as national tourism associations, hotel associations, airlines, and National Tourism Organizations.

Product overview

ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA) is a non-profit organization established on March 27, 1971, dedicated to developing and promoting tourism within ASEAN as a single destination. Rather than offering a unified technology product, ASEANTA provides a portfolio of programs and services including the annual ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), ASEAN Travel Exchange (ATEX) B2B platform, and ASEANTA Excellence Awards. Additional offerings include membership services, industry advocacy and representation, and training and education programs. The organization serves as an associated entity of ASEAN, recognized under the ASEAN Charter, and brings together national tourism associations, hotel associations, airlines, and National Tourism Organizations from all ten ASEAN member countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ASEANTA Excellence Awards: Annual awards program recognizing outstanding achievements and contributions to the ASEAN tourism industry in categories including marketing, cultural preservation, sustainability, and innovation.
• ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF)
• TRAVEX
• ASEAN Travel Exchange (ATEX)

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2025 in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Joint partnership for the annual B2B travel trade event.
• Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2025 in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Joint partnership for the annual flagship tourism event.
• Tourism MalaysiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2025 in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Joint partnership for national tourism promotion event.
• ASEAN SecretariatflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerASEANTA is an associated entity of ASEAN and is recognized under the ASEAN Charter. Works within the broader ASEAN framework for tourism cooperation.
• 25 Member OrganizationscoreOthersComprehensive membership base spanning all ten ASEAN countries, including national tourism associations, hotel associations, airlines, and National Tourism Organizations from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC): Global private-sector tourism council representing the broader travel and tourism industry with members including CEOs of major travel companies. Comparable as a higher-tier industry advocacy and research body whose membership model and policy influence work mirrors ASEANTA's at a global scale.
• UN Tourism (UNWTO): United Nations specialized agency for tourism that sets global standards, publishes tourism statistics, and coordinates international tourism policy. Comparable as the global-level tourism umbrella body whose functions parallel ASEANTA's at the regional level.

Others

• International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA): Global association for the international meetings and events industry with a strong Asia-Pacific presence. Comparable for the MICE component of ASEANTA's business — specifically the ATF/TRAVEX/ATEX event platforms — though ICCA specializes in meetings industry rather than general tourism.
• SITE (Society of Incentive & Travel Executives): International association focused on the incentive travel industry, providing education, events, and certification. Comparable as an adjacent events-and-education-driven industry association with overlapping audience of tourism buyers and suppliers that participate in ASEANTA's B2B forums.

Emerging players

• African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA): Africa-focused membership association for tourism trade, suppliers, and NTOs, with events, training, and advocacy programs. Comparable as a regional membership-driven tourism body working on destination promotion, but at an earlier stage of development than ASEANTA.

Direct peers

• Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA): Regional tourism association serving the Asia-Pacific with membership of national tourism organizations, hotels, and airlines. Directly comparable as a membership-based regional tourism body with advocacy, training, and B2B event functions overlapping ASEANTA's mandate.
• European Travel Commission (ETC): Regional tourism promotion organization for Europe that brings together national tourism organizations to promote Europe as a single destination. Highly comparable as a region-wide NTO consortium with marketing, research, and advocacy roles analogous to ASEANTA's ASEAN-destination positioning.

Regional players

• Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA): Caribbean regional tourism and hospitality association representing hotels, airlines, and tourism stakeholders. Comparable as a regional membership-based tourism body with advocacy, training, and trade events, but operating in a different geography than ASEANTA.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/aseanasone
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-of-south-east-asian-nations-tourism-associations-aseanta

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ASEAN Tourism Association