By 
Regional Strategy to Eliminate Travel Friction
Government representatives, industry leaders, and academics recently convened at the second ASEAN-Korea Roundtable in Tourism 2026 in Jakarta, Indonesia (November 4–7). The summit shifted focus from general diplomatic agreements to actionable policy recommendations designed to reduce the daily inconveniences that deter international travelers.
The cooperation framework targets four primary pillars:
- Travel facilitation and safety.
- Reduction of tourist inconvenience.
- Workforce development within the tourism sector.
- Integration of cultural diversity into travel experiences.
The economic incentive for this alignment is significant. In 2025, ASEAN recorded approximately 147 million international arrivals, with 42% originating from within the region. When expanded to the ASEAN Plus Three market (including China, Japan, and South Korea), arrivals reached approximately 244 million.
Financial Integration: The Shift to QR Payments
A central component of this regional transformation is the elimination of currency exchange hurdles through digital payment interoperability.
Cambodia’s Digital Leap
Cambodia is leading the transition with the Bakong Tourist App, launched January 22, 2025, in partnership with Visa. This system allows international visitors to link their home-country Visa cards to a Bakong account, enabling payments via KHQR codes without requiring a local bank account. At launch, the network provided access to roughly 4.5 million merchants.
Additionally, a specific corridor for South Korean travelers was established on August 29, 2024, via a partnership between Phnom Penh Commercial Bank and South Korea’s Jeonbuk Bank. This allows eligible Korean tourists to use the JBB Mobile App at over 3.3 million merchant locations.
Thailand’s Cross-Border Expansion
Thailand has implemented bidirectional QR payment links with Cambodia, allowing travelers from both nations to use domestic banking apps to pay merchants via QR codes.
The scale of adoption is accelerating rapidly. According to an International Monetary Fund (IMF) study published in January 2026, cross-border QR payment activity surged in 2024:
- Thailand: Increased by more than 300% compared to 2023.
- Malaysia: Increased by approximately 550% compared to 2023.
Despite this growth, challenges remain for small-scale vendors and street retailers who face registration barriers and transaction limits.
Standardizing the Visitor Experience
To ensure quality and sustainability, the region is leaning on ASEAN tourism standards. These certifications provide a unified framework for assessing service quality across several categories:
- Green Hotels and Ecotourism.
- Food and Beverage Services.
- Homestays and Tourism Heritage.
- Public Restrooms.
These standards aim to professionalize the regional offering, ensuring that as volume increases toward the 20-million-visitor goal, the quality of the infrastructure and environmental impact remain managed.
Tourism Impact Data
| Metric | Figure/Statistic |
|---|---|
| ASEAN Int'l Arrivals (2025) | $\approx$ 147 Million |
| Intra-ASEAN Arrival Share (2025) | $\approx$ 42% |
| ASEAN Plus Three Arrivals | $\approx$ 244 Million |
| Annual South Korean Visitors to SE Asia | $>$ 9.6 Million |
| Current Two-Way Exchange Target | $\approx$ 13 Million $\rightarrow$ $>$ 20 Million |
| ASEAN GDP Contribution (Tourism 2023) | $\approx$ 8% |
| ASEAN Employment Contribution (Tourism 2023) | $\approx$ 12% |
| Intra-ASEAN Arrivals (2023 vs 2019) | 42% (2023) vs 36% (2019) |
Key Takeaways
- Growth Target: A strategic push to move two-way tourism between ASEAN and South Korea from 13 million to over 20 million visitors.
- FinTech Integration: The deployment of KHQR in Cambodia and bidirectional QR systems in Thailand are drastically reducing the need for cash.
- Economic Weight: Tourism is a primary economic driver, accounting for 8% of ASEAN's GDP and 12% of its employment as of 2023.
- Standardization: Regional certifications for "Green Hotels" and "Ecotourism" are being used to ensure sustainable growth.
FAQ
How does the Bakong Tourist App work for foreigners? Launched in January 2025, it allows travelers to link an eligible international Visa card to the app, enabling them to pay Cambodian merchants via KHQR codes without opening a local bank account.
Which countries are seeing the fastest growth in QR payments? According to 2026 IMF data, Malaysia saw a 550% increase in cross-border QR activity in 2024, while Thailand saw an increase of over 300%.
What is the goal of the ASEAN-Korea Roundtable in Tourism? The roundtable aims to move beyond diplomatic talk to implement practical improvements in travel safety, digital payments, and workforce development to increase visitor exchanges.
