Burma connection threatens USAID funding
WASHINGTON, 10 August 2010 ― USAID funding for a project that gave ASEAN a tourism website and campaign “Southeast Asia: Feel the Warmth” is under review following criticism that it may have a commercial value for Myanmar and break strict US sanctions.
A source in the US capital confirmed that “a review of the funding is going on to determine whether the project violates Burma sanctions, but a conclusion hasn’t been reached yet.”
Free websites up for grabs
March 29, 2010 by Imtiaz Muqbil
Filed under Blogs
The tourism component of the ASEAN Competitiveness Enhancement (ACE) project, funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), yielded yet another poor result last week when a presentation to the Association of Thai Travel Agents was hit by a low turnout of members.
Only 200 of the association’s 1,300 members turned up to hear a pitch on how they could sign up for free websites and low-cost online booking transactions, listened politely and then left the lunch meeting without publicly asking a single question. Read more
USAID denies it broke sanctions
USAID denies it has violated either the letter or spirit of US legislation on aid to Myanmar by funding the ASEAN Competitiveness Enhancement (ACE) Project, according to the agency’s communications director, Hal Lipper.
He was responding to a US Campaign for Burma’s statement that claimed the project would be challenged by Congress and might have to be reviewed.
Earlier in the month, Washington-based US Campaign for Burma advocacy director, Jennifer Quigley, told TTR Weekly: “To my knowledge, Congress is aware of this project and I believe they may require USAID to change the project as a result of this violation.” Read more
ATTA members urged to go B2C
March 26, 2010 by Chanida Sa-ngiamphaisalsuk
Filed under News
A new website and campaign to promote tourism to the 10 member countries of ASEAN will help traditional travel agencies to tap a B2C sales channel, according to Association of Thai Travel Agents vice president, Nino Jotikasthira.
He was presenting details of the recently launched www.southeastasia.org campaign, funded by USAID and managed through the US consultancy firm Nathan Associates Inc, to around 200 travel agents attending the ATTA annual general meeting yesterday.
Congress may challenge USAID project
The USAID funded ASEAN Competitive Enhancement project, by promoting Myanmar, breaches the rules on how it is allowed to disburse funds and must be changed if Congress intervenes.
That’s the view of a leading Myanmar expert in Washington, US Campaign for Burma advocacy director, Jennifer Quigley, who told TTR Weekly: “To my knowledge, Congress is aware of this project and I believe they may require USAID to change the project as a result of this violation.”
The US$8 million ACE project aims to build commercial competitiveness in ASEAN’s tourism and textiles industries. Approximately, US$4 million of the 2008 to 2013 ACE budget goes to a tourism marketing campaign called “Southeast Asia: Feel the warmth” that is built around a consumer website that will drive tourist bookings to the 10 countries of ASEAN, of which Myanmar is a member.
Feel the Warmth at ITB Berlin
March 9, 2010 by TTRweekly Staff
Filed under News
A new consumer destination marketing campaign for the 10 countries of Southeast Asia will launch this week, 12 March, at ITB Berlin.
Southeast Asia: Feel the Warmth is the campaign brand for the website SoutheastAsia.Org that is linked to the Singapore-based Wego.Com meta-search site. Three developments will be announced during ITB.
A map-based trip planner will be featured on SoutheastAsia.Org that will allow travellers to plan trips, estimate costs, check availability and bookings.
Planet boost for Asean
February 22, 2010 by TTRweekly Staff
Filed under News
The latest Lonely Planet content is now featured on SoutheastAsia.org, the new tourism website for ASEAN created for the ASEAN Tourism Association, through USAID funds under the ACE project.
Aseanta, the trade association that represents the tourism industry in the 10 member-country region, will ultimately own the website, although currently the site including all content and ownership of the domain name is under the direct management of the USAID primary contractor, Nathan Associates Inc.
Underlying principles of competition
The US Agency for International Development has revealed additional details of the procedures that govern its procurement contracts, for the on-going Asean Competitiveness Enhancement Project known as ACE.
It confirmed the selection process for sub-contractors is the sole responsibility of primary contractor, Nathan Associates Inc, an US consultancy company with an office in Bangkok, Thailand.
Wego chief spells it out
Asean Competitive Enhancement, a USAID project that funds www.southeastasia.org, made the approach to Wego.Com to provide “travel search functionality” in early 2009, according Wego.Com’s CEO, Martin Symes.
He was commenting on an earlier report, published by TTR Weekly and Travel Impact Newswire, in an email communication earlier today.
“I state categorically for the record that we were approached by ACE to provide travel search functionality for the southeastasia.org site in early 2009.
