Lesser known destinations are Southeast Asia’s newest hot spots

Buyers at ASEAN Tourism Forum 2024 are eager to move away from the well-trodden paths to seek out hidden, alternative experiences for their clients.

“In Laos, I’m looking for something off the beaten track, a real experience with people from this place,” said Pierre Couture, President and Director of Products of Les Sentiers du Monde from Canada, echoing the sentiment of many buyers attending the ASEAN Tourism Forum.

“We go into indigenous communities to do workshops with them,” she says about the TPB’s community tourism programme. In the Cordillera region, that translates into activities like dressing in local garb and dancing in front of the stunning rice terraces. In Samal Island in the southern Philippines, attractions include a brand-new MICE facility and food-based CBT all around Mindanao.

Maria Margarita Nograles, COO of the Tourism Promotions Board Philippines, prefers the term “hidden gems” to talk about the country’s lesser-known destinations.

Christian Knorr, who specialises in product management – special groups Asia at Germany-based Gebeca, is keen to seek out travel offerings with a sustainability bent. “I’ve already covered Vietnam and Thailand, so ATF is a nice opportunity for me to see more of Laos and Cambodia,” said Knorr, who is a first-time visitor to ATF.