COOPERATION IN TOURISM AMONG THE BIMST-EC COUNTRIES: PROSPECTS AND CONSTRAINTS

This article evaluates the potential for tourism cooperation across BIMST-EC members and the obstacles that kept arrivals, spends, and length of stay below regional peers. It maps complementary assets—Buddhist heritage, mangroves and beaches, hill ecologies, cuisine and crafts—and shows how multi-country circuits could raise value capture for smaller destinations. The paper reviews visa regimes, air connectivity, border infrastructure, safety perceptions, and service-quality gaps. It argues for common branding, interoperable e-visa processes, and standards for guides, homestays, and adventure operators. The analysis explores public–private models for product development and destination management, including conservation financing that channels visitor fees into community stewardship. The study concludes that coordinated marketing, data sharing, and risk-management protocols can turn fragmented offerings into a resilient, high-trust regional experience that benefits local communities and SMEs.

The body opens by benchmarking BIMST-EC against ASEAN on arrivals per capita, air seats, and spend per visitor. Section One diagnoses frictions: visa opacity, limited direct flights, seasonal concentration, and inconsistent quality. Section Two develops the concept of themed corridors—Buddhist trail, mangrove-delta ecotour, tea-hills and crafts, and Bay-to-Himalaya wellness—detailing itinerary design, carrying-capacity limits, and sustainability criteria. Section Three proposes a regional e-visa and trusted-operator registry, with mutual recognition of safety and hygiene standards to reduce search and compliance costs. Section Four details investment vehicles for destination infrastructure—last-mile roads, visitor centres, waste systems—and social safeguards that ensure benefit-sharing with communities, women-led enterprises, and indigenous custodians. Section Five sets up data collaboration: shared dashboards for occupancy, flows, and conservation indicators; early-warning protocols for disasters and health events; and crisis communications. The conclusion argues that small, reliable improvements—seamless visas, wayfinding, digital payments, and joint branding—can compound into a distinctive, high-quality regional product that competes on authenticity and stewardship rather than price alone.