STRENGTHENING ASEAN TOURISM COMPETITIVENESS THROUGH SUSTAINABLE AND DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE: A COMPARATIVE FRAMEWORK FOR RESILIENT DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

ASEAN tourism destinations are entering a new phase of recovery and transformation following major disruptions caused by the COVID-nineteen pandemic, climate change, geopolitical uncertainty, and rapid technological advancements. Consequently, tourism infrastructure has evolved from conventional physical support into a strategic system integrating connectivity, sustainability, digital technology, community participation, and resilience. Although ASEAN international visitor arrivals reached approximately one hundred twenty-seven point one million in two thousand twenty-four, persistent disparities in infrastructure capacity and destination competitiveness remain. This study aims to comparatively examine tourism infrastructure management across ASEAN countries across three strategic dimensions: sustainable infrastructure, digital transformation, and destination competitiveness and resilience. Employing a comparative qualitative-descriptive approach, the study analyzes secondary data from official publications, national policies, and international reports through the frameworks of Systems Theory, the Triple Bottom Line, Destination Competitiveness Theory, and eTourism perspectives. The findings indicate varying levels of readiness across ASEAN: Singapore excels in integrated digital infrastructure; Malaysia and Thailand possess strong connectivity; Indonesia, Viet Nam, and the Philippines demonstrate vast potential but face spatial distribution and carrying capacity challenges; while emerging destinations require stronger connectivity and institutional capacity. Ultimately, infrastructure competitiveness must integrate green, digital, connected, inclusive, and resilient elements. To address this, the study proposes the ASEAN Integrated Sustainable-Digital Tourism Infrastructure Model, or ASDTIM, to guide policymakers and regional stakeholders.