Tourism Zoning Guideline for ASEAN Mobility Mapping in COVID-19 New Norm

Abstract

The COVID-19 crisis restrictions on travel and stay-at-home regulations have led to sharp decline in the ASEAN tourism industry. An integrated research is needed to understand the changes in travel behaviors of tourists seek including a shifting focus for health and safety concerns when travelling. The lack of real-time determination of tourism safe areas, hence, calls for the need to identify tourism safe zoning through implementation of ASEAN Green-Zone Travelling Network. The ASEAN Green-Zone Travelling Network is proposed to facilitate travelers’ decision making to travel, enhance tourism-related business preparation and achieve government policy acceptance throughout ASEAN countries. The aim is for destinations to successfully offer a virus-free environment, risk sensitive information, aid international readiness of tourism destinations for the new norm and transform government policies support into creating new tourism hotspots. COVID-19 has accelerated and necessitated the use of technologies by both tourists and businesses with risk mitigation in mind. The digitalization, thus, serves in identifying tourism zoning. Consequently, the integrative framework guideline functions as a catalyst of innovation and a tool to build tourism resilience in crisis.