Asian Think Tank Forum 2021

(Online)

16–17 November 2021
2:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m., Manila time
Co-organized by the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Development Bank Institute


About the forum

The past 10 years had seen steady growth in global tourism. Encouraged by the liberalization of air travel market, emergence of budget airlines, and innovations in digital and mobile technology that facilitated bookings for accommodations and airfares, the number of international tourists rose to from 920 million in 2008 to around 1.45 billion in 2018. A third of international tourists are visitors to Asia, with intraregional tourists accounting for 79.1% spurred by solid economic growth and greater tourism cooperation in the region. Extraregional tourists, likewise, increased by nearly 6.4 million between 2017 and 2018.

Tourism’s most visible economic impact is the significant financial inflows it generates—around $1.6 trillion in visitor spending in 2018. For many Asian economies, tourism is a significant income source. Its 2018 share of GDP is nearly 60% in Maldives and around 40% in Palau. Across Asia, tourism generated financial inflows of around $411 billion in tourism receipts. It boosts physical and digital infrastructure investment, strengthens people-to-people linkages, promotes entrepreneurship, and stimulates employment, especially in emerging markets and developing Asia.

Boosting tourist arrivals and maximizing tourism receipts are often simultaneous targets in national tourism plans but may not be achieved at the same time. Comparing the average annual growth rate of tourism receipts and international arrivals suggests the most-visited countries may not necessarily experience the same degree of growth in tourism earnings. Moreover, given the tourists’ and tourism industry’s growing environmental footprints, it is imperative to come up with eco-friendly solution to developing tourism industries.

With the many benefits of tourism, Asian countries explore strategies that would increase tourists and maximize visitor experience by offering high-value, quality experiences. These strategies include development of hard infrastructure like mass transport systems, public facilities, and technology that eases immigration procedures. Tourism strategies that primarily target the development of hard infrastructure—such as aviation and mass transport, public facilities, and technology that eases immigration procedures—tend to attract more tourists as long as the infrastructure are in place. Cohesive execution of tourism policy, regulatory environment, and strategy; infrastructure; human resources; and marketing and product development that considers the interests of multiple stakeholders are important to maximize gains and promote sustainability.

The current global pandemic on COVID-19 has hit the tourism industry hard. UNWTO data showed a 22% decline in international tourism globally for Q1 2020, and further estimates a 60%-80% decline for the whole year. There were 67 million less tourists and $80 billion loss in exports compared to Q1 2019. Worse, these figures translate to millions of jobs and livelihoods lost. In this sense, it’s imperative for policy makers to contemplate viable strategies to address the new health security challenges and steer the flagging tourism industry back on track in the foreseeable future.

Questions addressed

This year’s ADB-Asian Think Tank Development Forum provided a venue to share ideas and experiences among affiliated scholars on the policies and strategies that countries should pursue to mitigate the big slump in the tourism industry. The following questions were explored:

  1. Can tourism industry contribute to inclusive and sustainable economic development and growth? How should tourism industry evolve and how should we educate and train tourism professionals to maximize the tourism industry’s economic impact on sustainable development?
  2. What is the likely impact / How to measure negative impact of COVID-19 on tourism industry and receipts?
  3. What national and regional level tourism policies would help to cope with growing challenges of natural disasters and health security (pandemic)?
  4. What are the backward and forward industrial linkages of tourism industry domestically and internationally and what are the ways to strengthen these channels?
  5. How can big data be used to better manage tourism and to make it more sustainable?
  6. How can the tourism industry become more environmentally sustainable?
  7. What are the main obstacles in the development of sustainable tourism? What are the available policy options?

Agenda

Tuesday, 16 November 2021
Opening

  • Opening Ceremony

    Emcee:
    ALELI ROSARIO,
    Senior Economics Officer, Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department (ERCD), Asian Development Bank
    Bio
    Aleli Rosario is a Senior Economics Officer with the Economics and Research Division. She has over 18 years of experience working on various projects and research on topics such as regional integration and cooperation, trade, facilitation, tourism, macroeconomics, and development indicators. Prior to working with ADB, she worked at the National Economic and Development Authority of the Philippines handling social development planning and projects on education, vulnerable groups, and housing. She finished her Bachelor’s degree in Statistics and Master’s degree in Economics at the University of the Philippines, Diliman.



    • 2:00 p.m.
      Welcome Remarks
      TETSUSHI SONOBE,
      Dean, Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI)
      Welcome Remarks Bio
      Tetsushi Sonobe is the Dean and CEO of the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), the Tokyo-based think tank of the Asian Development Bank that promotes the realization of a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific through policy research and capacity building.

      Born in 1960 in Tokyo, Dean Sonobe obtained his PhD in economics from Yale University and BA in economics from the University of Tokyo. His research interests include the empirics of economic development, particularly industrial development processes and poverty reduction in developing countries. Dean Sonobe has more than 20 years’ experience analyzing the role of human capital, institutions, and management in industrial development in Asia and other regions. Notably, he and prominent agricultural and development economist, Keijiro Otsuka, applied their unique enterprise survey approach to a series of development process case studies in different industries in East Asia. They expanded the scope of their industry study to cover South Asia, Africa, and Central America and conducted randomized controlled trials of management training programs for business owners and managers.

      Before joining ADBI in April 2020, Dean Sonobe served for six years as a vice president of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo. He also previously served as a professor of economics at Tokyo Metropolitan University and GRIPS. Dean Sonobe is a recipient of the Nikkei Book Publication Prize and the Masayoshi Ohira Memorial Prize, and a founding board member of the Japanese Association for Development Economics.



      Opening Remarks
      JOSEPH ZVEGLICH Jr.,
      Deputy Chief Economist, concurrently Deputy Director General and Officer-in-Charge, ERCD, ADB
      Opening Remarks Bio
      Joseph E. Zveglich Jr. is Deputy Chief Economist of the Asian Development Bank. He supports the Chief Economist to set research directions for the Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department, ensure research quality, and brief the ADB Board and Management on emerging economic issues.

      Previously as Director of macroeconomic research, Mr. Zveglich oversaw the preparation of the annual Asian Development Outlook and the Asian Development Outlook Update, ADB’s flagship publications forecasting economic trends in the region. He also served as Principal Planning and Policy Economist at ADB’s Strategy and Policy Department, Senior Advisor to the President, and as Deputy Country Director at the ADB’s Sri Lanka Resident Mission. Mr. Zveglich joined ADB in 1998.

      Before ADB, Mr. Zveglich worked as a researcher and instructor at the Harvard Institute for International Development as part of the team providing capacity building to government officials in macroeconomic policy and management. He was also a visiting instructor at the College of William and Mary.

      Mr. Zveglich earned his PhD and Master of Arts degree at Harvard University. He graduated summa cum laude in economics with an emphasis on Asian studies at Arizona State University.

    • 2:10 p.m.
      Keynote Speech
      SANDRA CARVÃO,
      Chief, Market Intelligence and Competitiveness, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
      Presentation Bio
      Sandra Carvão is Chief of Tourism Market Intelligence and Competitiveness at the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) since June 2018. Before that, she was Chief of Communications and Publications for 8 years until May 2018 where she was responsible for UNWTO’s strategic positioning.

      Prior to this post, Sandra was Deputy Chief at UNWTO’s Market Trends, Competitiveness and Trade in Tourism Services Department between 2007 and 2010. During this period, Sandra coordinated the Tourism Resilience Committee created by UNWTO to address the impacts of the global economic crisis 2008-2009 on tourism. Prior to joining UNWTO in 2003, Sandra held a position as market manager in the Portuguese National Tourist Office in Lisbon. Sandra has a degree in International Relations, Economics Branch, by the Instituto de Ciências Sociais e Políticas/Universidade Técnica de Lisboa and a postgraduade degree in Marketing by the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

  • Session 1: Regional Economic Outlooks

    • 2:20 p.m.
      Regional Economic Outlook
      JONG WOO KANG,
      Principal Economist, Regional Integration and Cooperation Division, ERCD, ADB
      Presentation Bio
      Jong Woo Kang is principal economist at the Economic Research and Cooperation Department of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). He is a seasoned economist with extensive knowledge and experiences on policy and strategic issues. He was senior advisor to the managing director general of ADB and senior economist at Strategy and Policy Department at ADB. He leads the annual publication of Asian Economic Integration Report. Areas of his research interest include regional integration, inclusive growth, macroeconomic and international trade policies, and aid effectiveness. He has published research articles in academic journals such as Journal of Development Economics, Journal of Applied Economics, and Journal of World Trade, and wrote numerous blogs and opinion articles on global macroeconomy and international trade and finance. Before joining ADB, he was director at Ministry of Finance and Economy of the Republic of Korea. He got his BA in economics and MA in public administration from Seoul National University, and PhD in economics from University of Washington.

    • 2:35 p.m
      Economic Outlook of India
      DEEPAK MISHRA,
      Director & Chief Executive, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER)
      Presentation Bio
      Deepak Mishra is the Director and Chief Executive of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER). Prior to joining ICRIER, he was the Practice Manager at the World Bank’s Macroeconomics, Trade, and Investment Global Practice, responsible for East Asia and Pacific region. Deepak has held various positions at the World Bank, including the Co-director of the World Development Report 2016 (Digital Dividends), Country Economist for Ethiopia, Pakistan, Sudan and Vietnam. His research work has been published in various academic journals including the Journal of Development Economics, the Journal of International Economics and the Journal of Agriculture Economics.

      Deepak has also served as the World Bank’s Country Economist for India, based in New Delhi, and working closely with the Government of India and with several state governments. Prior to joining the World Bank, Deepak worked at Tata Motors, Federal Reserve Board and the University of Maryland. Deepak received his M.A. (Economics) from the Delhi School of Economics and Ph.D. (Economics) from the University of Maryland.
    • 2:50 p.m
      Economic Outlook of the People’s Republic of China
      ZHANG MINWEN,
      Deputy Director General, International Economics and Finance Institute (IEFI)
      Presentation Bio
      Minwen Zhang Deputy Director General, International Economics and Finance Institute (IEFI), Ministry of Finance, China

      Ms. Minwen Zhang is the Deputy Director General of the International Economics and Finance Institute (IEFI). She leads IEFI to conduct research on China’s bilateral and multilateral economic cooperation, global and regional economic and financial cooperation, global economic governance, as well as international development cooperation.

      Before joining IEFI in January 2021, Ms. Minwen Zhang worked as the Alternate Executive Director in the World Bank Group during 2016-2020. She has served in the International Department of the Ministry of Finance of China since 2001, mainly responsible for cooperation between China and major MDBs such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. Besides, she worked as an advisor to Chinese ED in ADB during 2004-2006.

      She holds a Master Degree of Economics from the University of International Business & Economics, Beijing.

    • 3:05 p.m.
      Open Discussion
    • 3:15 p.m.
      Break(10 minutes)

  • Session 2: Tourism and COVID-19: Country Cases (Part- I)

    Moderator:
    KIJIN KIM,
    Economist, ERCD, ADB
    Bio
    Kijin Kim is Economist in the Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department, Asian Development Bank. Since he joined the ADB in 2017, he has been working on trade, trade facilitation, and trade finance within the context of regional cooperation and integration (RCI). He contributed to ADB’s publications on these areas including the Asian Economic Integration Report, Trade Finance Gaps, Growth, and Jobs Survey, and Asia-Pacific Trade Facilitation Report.

    Before joining the ADB, he was a research fellow of the Regional Economics Applications Laboratory at the University of Illinois since 2012. From 2004 to 2010, he worked as Economist at the Bank of Korea. He earned his PhD in economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2016, focusing on research within the fields of regional economics and applied econometrics, centered on the role of labor markets, the effects of heterogeneity in consumption spending and labor market participation on regional economies.



    • 3:25 p.m.
      Cambodia in Global Tourism Project: Aspect and Perspective in Recoveries
      TENG DELUX,
      Research Fellow, Cambodia Development Resource Institute
      Presentation Bio
      Teng Delux received the Diploma of International Investment in 2009. In 2011, he earned a Ph.D of World Economy from Southern Federal University and Diploma of State and Municipal Management from Institute of State and Municipal Management, Belgorod State National Research University, Russia.

      He is currently a research fellow at Center of Development Economic and Trade, CDRI. His publications include Essence and Phases of International Economic Integration, Comparative Analysis of University Publication Activity by Google Scholar (On Example of Leading Czech and Germany), Method for the Quantitative Evaluation of Universities’ Publishing Activity by Countries Based on the Taiwanese Ranking, Cambodia Labour Market Forecasting 2017-2027.

    • 3:40 p.m.
      COVID-19 and Tourism Sector: An Impact Assessment in Case of Azerbaijan
      RAMIL HUSEYN,
      Deputy Executive Director, Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication
      Presentation Bio
      Ramil Huseyn is a deputy executive director at Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication, where he researches the problems of socio-economic development in Azerbaijan. He was a team member that was responsible in developing the strategic roadmaps of Azerbaijan. Moreover, he participated in development of various state programs covering agriculture sector and small and medium size enterprises.

      Ramil has worked for Institute of Agricultural Economics from 2006 to 2016 as a head of the development problems of entrepreneurship department. He also served as a national consultant in various international projects financed and implemented by FAO, UNDP, UNIDO, EU.

      He graduated from the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Azerbaijan Republic with master’s degrees in public administration in 2002. After graduation he received a Ph.D degree in economics. Following this, he received doctoral of science degree in economics, which is mandatory step to get a professorship in Azerbaijan.

      Ramil visited Newcastle University Business School as a visiting professor in 2015-2016. He gave a lecture at State University of Economics from 2007 to 2011. Ramil has written two books and 75 articles.

    • 3:55 p.m.
      Discussant:
      WOUTER SCHALKEN
      Senior Sustainable Tourism Specialist, Urban Sector Group, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department, ADB
      Bio
      Wouter Schalken is Senior Sustainable Tourism Specialist with SDSC-USG and has close to 25 years’ experience in diverse and multi-faceted interventions in tourism market development and operations. His experience ranges from individual enterprise support through feasibility studies and investment planning, to strengthening the enabling environment for tourism (policy and regulations), investment needs identification, human resource development and supporting spatial tourism planning and management system at regional, national and local levels. Before joining ADB, Wouter worked for a wide variety of multi- and bilateral development agencies across Asia, the Middle East and Africa where he has been extensively involved in community-based tourism development across protected landscape settings.
    • 4:05 p.m.
      Open Discussion
    • 4:15 p.m.
      Break (10 minutes)

  • Session 3: Tourism and COVID-19: Country Cases (Part -II)

    Moderator:
    PETER MORGAN,
    Vice Chair for Research, ADBI
    Bio
    Peter J. Morgan is Senior Consulting Economist and Vice Chair of Research at the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), and has been with ADBI since 2008. He has 23 years experience in the financial sector in Asia, most recently serving in Hong Kong as Chief Asia Economist for HSBC, responsible for macroeconomic analysis and forecasting for Asia. Previously, he served as Chief Japan Economist for HSBC, and earlier held similar positions at Merrill Lynch, Barclays de Zoete Wedd and Jardine Fleming. Prior to entering the financial industry, he was a consultant for Meta Systems Inc in Cambridge, MA, in energy and environmental analysis, and at International Business Information KK in Tokyo, in financial sector consulting. He earned his MA and PhD degrees in economics from Yale University. His research interests are in macroeconomic policy and financial sector regulation, reform, financial development, financial inclusion, fintech, financial literacy and financial education. In 2019 he served as the Lead Co-chair for the Task Force on The Future of Work and Education for the Digital Age for the Think 20 process, an engagement group with the G20.



    • 4:25 p.m.
      Unlocking Tourism’s Post-COVID-19 Economic Potential: Elevating Governance from Destination to Tourism Industry Level
      JOHN PAOLO RIVERA,
      Associate Director, Asian Institute of Management — Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism
      Presentation Bio
      John Paolo R. Rivera is Associate Director of the Asian Institute of Management — Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism. He has extensive research portfolio in the areas of Tourism Development, Poverty, Remittances and Migration, Entrepreneurship, International Trade, and Development Economics. This includes his attendance in a succession of both international and local academic conferences, and authorship of numerous scientific and technical publications. He obtained his Doctor of Philosophy in Economics from De La Salle University (Manila, Philippines). He was Visiting Research Fellow at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (Beppu, Japan).

    • 4:40 p.m.
      Unlocking the Economic Potential of Tourism Industry Post-COVID-19 in Indonesia
      CARUNIA MULYA FIRDAUSY,
      Professor of Economics, Center for Economic Research, Indonesian Institute of Sciences
      Presentation Bio
      Prof. Carunia Mulya Firdausy currently works as a Professor of Economics at the Faculty of Economics and Business, the University of Tarumanagara, Jakarta. He also serves as a Research Professor at the Economic Research Centre, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (P2E-LIPI), Jakarta.

      After returning from his Master study of Agricultural Economics Development (MADE) at the Australian National University (ANU), Canberra (Australia) and Master of Economics at University of New Castle (Australia), and PhD program at the Faculty of Economics and Commerce, University of Queensland in 1993, he has occupied several executive positions in various organizations. His first executive position was as Special Adviser for the State Secretary in charge of writing Presidential speeches in economic areas (1995-1997) during New Order era. Other executive positions that he has held since then include Director of the Economic Research Centre, P2E-LIPI (1997 — 2001), Special Adviser for Indonesia’s National Defense Council (Dewan Ketahanan Nasional- Wantannas) for economic affairs (2001-2003), member of the Joint Selection Team (JST) for the Australian Development Scholarships administered by Australian Aid (1996-2009), Chairman of Transportation Technology and Management Committee at the Office of the Minister of State for Research and Technology (2005-2011), National Chairman for ASEAN Committee on Science and Technology (ASEAN COST, 2005-2010), President of Non-Align Movement on Science and Technology (NAM’s S&T, 2005-2010) and as Deputy for Social Dynamics of the Minister of State for Research and Technology (2005-2010). He was also the executive chairman for Indonesia-Australia Alumni Reference Group, 2010-2013, the Indonesian coordinator for the East Asian Development Network (EADN), Manila, The Philippines and a member of the Asian Development Bank (ADB Think Tank Development Forum up to now.

      Apart from his previous executive positions and long experiences in the government, and non-government organizations, he is also very active in teaching and supervising master and doctoral students in the private university of Tarumanagara and state universities since 1993. His major study area of interest is in development economics, management and other related areas. Papers that he has published in international reputational journals include in the Asian Development Review (ADB), Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies, International Journal of Critical Infrastructures, International Journal of Management and Enterprise Development, International Journal of Tourism Policy, Social Indicators Research (Forthcoming), and contributed a chapter to the books Roadmap to An ASEAN Economic Community (ISEAS) and Foreign Direct Investments in Asia (Routledge) and International Migration (Macmillan), ASEAN Investment report 2020-2021, Investing in Industry 4.0. A number of books in English and Indonesian have also been widely published in several international and national economic publishers. He also has presented numerous papers in various international conferences held in Europe, USA, Africa, Asia and certainly in Indonesia. He can be reached at caruniaf@pps.untar.ac.id or cmfirdausy@gmail.com

    • 4:55 p.m.
      Discussant:
      SANCHITA BASU DAS,
      Economist, Regional Integration and Cooperation Division, ERCD, ADB
      Presentation Bio
      Sanchita Basu-Das is an economist at the Regional Cooperation and Integration Division of the Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department of ADB. She contributes to the division’s flagship publications, knowledge products and analytical studies. Her core research interests include regional cooperation initiatives and issues related to them, such as trade, logistics, industrial corridors, tourism, digital economy, institutions, and others. Sanchita has published in international journals including the Singapore Economic Review, Journal of World Trade and Asia Pacific Economic Literature, authored/edited books and book chapters, and wrote for media. Sanchita joined ADB in November 2018 and initially served as an economist in the South Asia Regional Department.

      Prior to joining ADB, Sanchita was the lead researcher for economic affairs at the ASEAN Studies Centre of ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore. She was concurrently a fellow of the Regional Economic Studies Program, coordinator of Singapore APEC Studies Centre and a co-editor of Journal of Southeast Asian Economies (JSEAE), all housed under the same institute. Sanchita earned her PhD in international political economy from Nanyang Technology University, Singapore, and her masters in economics and business management from the University of Delhi and the National University of Singapore, respectively.

    • 5:05 p.m.
      Open Discussion
    • 5:15 p.m.
      Closing for the day and reminders for next day



Wednesday, 17 November 2021
Day 2

  • Session 4: Capacity-building Session

    Moderator:
    SEUNGJU BAEK,
    Deputy Dean, ADBI
    Bio
    Seungju Baek joined ADBI as Deputy Dean (Capacity Building and Training and Special Activities) in March 2021.

    Prior to joining ADBI, he served as Deputy Minister for Planning and Coordination at the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Korea.

    He has 30 years of economic and development policy experience. His other previous roles include serving as a senior policy analyst focused on developing countries for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, as well as an international development expert at the World Bank Institute.

    His capacity building and training interests include post-COVID-19 recovery and inclusive growth for sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific.

    He earned his doctor of public administration degree in public policy from Korea University.



    • 2:00 p.m.
      Panel Discussion with Think Tanks
      MONZUR HOSSAIN,
      Research Director, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies
      Bio
      Monzur Hossain obtained his Ph.D. in International Economics from the National Graduate Institute for Policy studies (GRIPS), Tokyo, Japan. With extensive research focus on evaluating and analyzing development interventions and economic policies, his area of interest mainly concentrates toward macro-financial domain. In particular, macroeconomics, international economics and financial economics are his core areas of interest. He has also interests on some emerging development issues pertaining to SME development, ICTs and knowledge economy, green finance and renewable energy. He has participated and served as team leader in numerous professional research projects. He served as consultant for the UNDP, ADB, UNCTAD, EU, World Bank, JICA, International Growth Center (London School of Economics) etc. Before joining BIDS in 2008, he worked for Bangladesh Bank (central bank), Asian Development Bank Institute, Tokyo, and taught Economics in some leading public and private universities in Bangladesh. He has held several visiting positions, such as Visiting Scholar at Graduate School of International Development, Nagoya University, Japan (in 2010) and visiting Research Fellow at IDE-JETRO, Japan (during January-March, 2020). Currently he is a member of Executive Board of the American Committee on Asian Economic Studies (acaes.us). He is a member of the Editorial Board of the journal "Bangladesh Development Studies" and the "International Journal of SME Development". Dr. Hossain has published extensively in internationally accredited journals including Economic Modelling, Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Applied Economics Letters, Journal of Asian Economics, Local Government Studies, Asian Economic Papers, Bangladesh Development Studies, so on. He has also to his credit numerous other publications in the forms of research reports, and edited books. Recently he edited a book titled "Bangladesh's Macroeconomic Policy" which was published by Palgrave Macmillan, in February 2020. He presented papers in many national and international academic conferences held in the USA, UK, Japan, Finland, Singapore, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, China, Hong Kong, and in other countries.

      SURIYAN VICHITLEKARN,
      Executive Director, Mekong Institute
      Presentation Bio
      Suriyan Vichitlekarn assumed his office as the Executive Director of Mekong Institute (MI) in September 2020. He is a dedicated professional in sustainable development through regional cooperation and integration. He has over 15 years of experience in development cooperation partnership, particularly in agriculture & rural development, public-private partnership and trade facilitation. He is a strong advocate on ASEAN and GMS integration initiatives. He also actively engages and shares his experiences in various platforms organized by ADB, APEC, ASEAN, FAO, GMS-EC and Sustainable Rice Platform.

      Prior to joining MI, Mr. Suriyan was Deputy Cluster Coordinator for Food and Agriculture of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH based in Thailand, and concurrently the spokesperson of the agriculture working group under the GIZ Sector Network for Natural Resources and Rural Development (SNRD) Asia and the Pacific. At GIZ Thailand, he was responsible for project steering and management as well as partnership development in the food and agriculture sectors. These include Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMA) in the Rice Sector in Thailand. During June 2014 to 2017, he was GIZ’s Regional Project Director of the Better Rice Initiative Asia (BRIA), based in Bangkok. The result of which has led to a number of subsequent GIZ sustainable rice related initiatives currently implemented in major rice producing countries in Southeast Asia.

      Mr. Suriyan worked with FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific based in Bangkok as the Partnership Officer (2013-2014), and with ADB as the Manager of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Working Group on Agriculture (WGA) Regional Secretariat (2013). During 2008-2013, he worked at the ASEAN Secretariat based in Jakarta, Indonesia where he was the Head of Agriculture Industries and Natural Resources Division and the main author of ASEAN Integrated Food Security (AIFS) Framework. Before 2008, he held various policy and management responsibilities at the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC).

      MEDELINA K. HENDYTIO,
      Deputy Executive Director, Center for Strategic and International Studies Indonesia
      Presentation Bio
      Medelina K. Hendytio is currently Deputy Executive Director of CSIS. She is also a researcher at the Department of Politics and International Relations, Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Jakarta since 1985. Her research areas cover: Administrative Development, Bureaucratic Reform, Education, and Gender Studies. With more than 20 years experience in social research, she had been involved in various research including Innovative Teaching and Learning Research, Empowering Civil Society Group to Promote Participatory Governance and Mapping Policies and Programs of Maternal Mortality Rate in Indonesia. She has also more than 10 years consulting experience in international donor-funded projects with a focus on governance, gender, as well for conducting monitoring and evaluation.

      Medelina K. Hendytio received her bachelor degree at the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, University of Diponegoro in 1984. She took one year course on social and political science at Yayasan Padi Kapas, Jakarta. She obtained her master’s degree in Development Administration from the National Centre for Development Studies, Australian National University, Canberra.

      She attended Advanced International Training on Equal Status and Human Rights of Women in Lund University, Sweden. She was awarded British Chevening Award in 1999 and participated in Certificate Course in Gender Policy and Planning, Development Planning Unit in University College London, UK. She obtained her doctoral degree at the Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Political and Social Science, University of Indonesia in 2008. Her doctoral research concern the recruitment process of the Government Civil Servant with particular attention on utilizing scenario planning for implementing reform agenda.

    • 3:20 p.m.
      Break (10 min)

  • Session 5: Sustainable Tourism — An Emerging Issue in Post-COVID-19 Recovery

    Moderator:
    SANCHITA BASU DAS,
    Economist, Regional Integration and Cooperation Division, ERCD, ADB
    Bio
    Sanchita Basu-Das is an economist at the Regional Cooperation and Integration Division of the Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department of ADB. She contributes to the division’s flagship publications, knowledge products and analytical studies. Her core research interests include regional cooperation initiatives and issues related to them, such as trade, logistics, industrial corridors, tourism, digital economy, institutions, and others. Sanchita has published in international journals including the Singapore Economic Review, Journal of World Trade and Asia Pacific Economic Literature, authored/edited books and book chapters, and wrote for media. Sanchita joined ADB in November 2018 and initially served as an economist in the South Asia Regional Department.

    Prior to joining ADB, Sanchita was the lead researcher for economic affairs at the ASEAN Studies Centre of ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore. She was concurrently a fellow of the Regional Economic Studies Program, coordinator of Singapore APEC Studies Centre and a co-editor of Journal of Southeast Asian Economies (JSEAE), all housed under the same institute. Sanchita earned her PhD in international political economy from Nanyang Technology University, Singapore, and her masters in economics and business management from the University of Delhi and the National University of Singapore, respectively.



    • 3:30 p.m.
      Lead Presentation
      WOUTER SCHALKEN
      Senior Sustainable Tourism Specialist, Urban Sector Group, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department, ADB
      Presentation Bio
      Wouter Schalken is Senior Sustainable Tourism Specialist with SDSC-USG and has close to 25 years’ experience in diverse and multi-faceted interventions in tourism market development and operations. His experience ranges from individual enterprise support through feasibility studies and investment planning, to strengthening the enabling environment for tourism (policy and regulations), investment needs identification, human resource development and supporting spatial tourism planning and management system at regional, national and local levels. Before joining ADB, Wouter worked for a wide variety of multi- and bilateral development agencies across Asia, the Middle East and Africa where he has been extensively involved in community-based tourism development across protected landscape settings.
    • 3:45 p.m.
      Country Case Studies
      SARA CURRIE,
      Tourism Specialist, Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative (PSDI), ADB
      Presentation Bio
      Sara Currie is the Tourism Specialist for ADBs Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative (PSDI). She designed and is now implementing the PSDI tourism work program, which supports sustainable and inclusive private sector-led tourism in the Pacific and recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr Currie recently published tourism snapshots of each of ADBs 14 Pacific member countries and a regional tourism assessment: Evaluating the challenges for Pacific tourism after COVID-19. Her work at PSDI is focussed on tourism data and evidence-based planning, improving access to finance, including through tourism taxation and blue financing instruments, and building crisis planning and resilience.

      Prior to joining PSDI, Dr Currie consulted for the World Bank, USAID and government institutions in Australia. She has previously worked as an Advisor in the Office of the President and Ministry of Tourism, Timor-Leste, and later as a consultant for the Asia Foundation where she implemented the findings of her doctoral research and led the development of Timor-Leste’s new destination strategy and brand. Dr Currie has lectured in Masters of Tourism degree at Monash University, is an Adjunct Research Fellow at Swinburne University and sits on the Board of the Balibo House Trust.

      ERDENESAIKHAN NYAMJAV,
      Associate Social Development Officer (Safeguards), Mongolia Resident Mission, East Asia Department
      Presentation Bio
      Erdenesaikhan Nyamjav has environmental science background working with regional research projects in Asia-Pacific, and he successfully managed and closed a number of environmental, social and governance projects in Mongolia. Currently he works on social safeguard matters across Mongolia portfolio and acts as a Project Officer for the Sustainable Tourism Development Project in ADB Mongolia Resident Mission.

      MARK R. BEZUIJEN,
      Principal Environment Specialist, Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Division, East Asia Department
      Bio
      Mark Bezuijen has worked on biodiversity conservation, protected area management, and environmental impact assessment in Asia and Australia for over 20 years. Key areas of work currently include the piloting and design of sustainable tourism projects in Mongolia, and overseeing environmental safeguards for a range of natural resource project in the People’s Republic of China and Mongolia

    • 4:00 p.m.
      Open discussion
    • 4:10 p.m
      Break (10 min)

  • Session 6: Tourism and Technology

    Moderator:
    CYN-YOUNG PARK,
    Director, Regional Integration and Cooperation Division, ERCD, ADB
    Bio
    Dr. Cyn-Young Park is Director of Regional Cooperation and Integration in the Economics Research and Regional Cooperation Department of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). During her progressive career within ADB, she has been a main author and contributor to ADB’s major publications including Asian Development Outlook (ADB’s flagship publication), Asia Capital Markets Monitor, Asia Economic Monitor, Asia Bond Monitor, and ADB Country Diagnostic Study Series. She has also participated in various global and regional forums including the G20 Development Working Group, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), ASEAN+3, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). She has written and lectured extensively about the Asian economy and financial markets. Her work has been published in peer reviewed academic journals including the Journal of Banking and Finance, the Journal of Futures Markets, the Review of Income and Wealth, and the World Economy.

    Prior to joining the ADB, she served as Economist (1999-2002) at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), where she contributed to the OECD Economic Outlook. She received her Ph.D. in Economics from Columbia University. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Economics from Seoul National University.



    • 4:20 p.m
      Big Data for Better Tourism Policy, Management, and Sustainable Recovery from COVID-19
      Working Document

      MATTHIAS HELBLE,
      Senior Economist, ADB (on leave with the World Health Organization)
      Presentation Bio
      Matthias Helble is a Scientist in the Research for Health Department of the World Health Organization (and on special leave from the Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department of ADB). Previously, he was a Senior Research Fellow and Co-Chair of the Research Department of the ADB Institute in Tokyo. His research interests include international trade, health, housing, and development. His research record includes numerous scientific journals, ten books as well as flagship reports of international organizations. Matthias holds graduate degrees in economics from the University of Tübingen, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (PhD) in Geneva.

      ANNA FINK,
      Country Economist, Indonesia Resident Mission, ADB
      Bio
      Anna Fink is Country Economist at the Indonesia Resident Mission of ADB where she leads the implementation of the Country Partnership Strategy and Country Knowledge Plan. She is also the country focal for operations and knowledge related to climate change and sustainable tourism. Anna was formerly a member of ADB’s Regional Cooperation and Integration Thematic Group where she led research and technical assistance on cross border integration and regional public goods with a focus on Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

      Prior to joining ADB, she spent five years as a natural resource economist and statistician with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community. She also spent several years working as a consultant on trade facilitation in East and Southern Africa. She has a Master’s degree in Development Management from the London School of Economics and has volunteered on a wide variety of development projects in Africa and South America.

    • 4:40 p.m.
      Panel Discussion:
      RICKY HOI,
      Deputy Director, Macao Government Tourism Office
      Presentation Bio
      Mr. Ricky Hoi has been Deputy Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) since 2018. He supervises Organisational Planning and Development Department and Tourism Product and Events Department.

      Mr. Hoi holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in business information systems from the Macau University of Science and Technology and has been a civil servant since 1988. He joined MGTO in 1990 and served as Head of the Licensing Division from 2009. In 2015, he served as Head of the Organisational Planning and Development Department and was promoted to Deputy Director of MGTO starting from 2018.

      Mr. Hoi is also a member of the Tourism Development Committee, Committee for the Development of Conventions and Exhibitions and the Urban Planning Cross-Departmental Committee.

      SARAH MATHEWS,
      Head of Media Partnerships, APAC, Tripadvisor
      Bio
      Sarah Mathews a seasoned keynote speaker and travel trend spotter, Sarah has more than 20 years of marketing, sales and digital experience across EMEA and APAC. She currently leads the digital marketing team of Tripadvisor across APAC.

      Sarah is Tripadvisor’s insight-clopedia. With her background, Sarah has a deep understanding on how to leverage data, insights and digital platforms to develop impactful traveller-centered campaigns that drive marketing success, making sure clients are talking to the right audience, the right way. Sarah’s core focus has been developing growth within the destination sector or Tripadvisor, working with key organizations and Ministries across the region. Her current role has evolved to working across the whole travel sector as well as driving new travel sector. Some of her recent clients include Tesla, Citibank, Accor, Tourism New Zealand and Japan Airlines.

      Under her leadership, the Asia Pacific team launched the first Tripadvisor Destination Academy, a three-day Digital Boot camp for government organizations and the CEO Challenge, a campaign that supports the discovery of lesser known destinations and in 2019 launched the first ever Asia Pacific Destination Leadership Summit focusing on the challenges and opportunities governments and ministries face in travel.

      Sarah served as the youngest female chair of Pacific Asia Travel Association, including the roles of Vice Chair and Immediate Past Chair. Sarah is currently serving on the Regional Board of IAM SEA & IN. A keen advocate for women’s development, though leadership and insight sharing. Sarah is a frequent speaker at events across the region.

      Born and raised in Hong Kong, Sarah’s lived across the globe including London, Beijing and Australia and is now back in Hong Kong.

      NATALIA BAYONA,
      Director of the Innovation, Educationand Investments DepartmentWorld Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
      Bio
      Natalia Bayona leads the innovation, educationand investments strategy of UNWTO, the UN specialized agency for the promotion of sustainable tourism.

      With a diverse background on politics, destination management and business, she has become the first innovation director at UNWTO,has introduced entrepreneurship and education as key factorsfor tourism and development, and has positioned UNWTO as an innovationbenchmark withinthe wider United Nations systemas recognizedby the UN Chief Executive Board (CEB)in 2020.

      Her work consists on identifying the most disruptive startups and investment projects and matching them with Member States and leading corporations. As an advocate of youth and technology, she seeks to make entrepreneurs grow for a promising future in all regions.

    • 5:05 p.m.
      Open Discussion

  • Way forward for the ADB-Asian Think Tank Network

    • 5:15
      Forum Summary and Recommendations
      JONG WOO KANG,
      Principal Economist, Regional Integration and Cooperation Division, ERCD, ADB
      Bio
      Jong Woo Kang is principal economist at the Economic Research and Cooperation Department of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). He is a seasoned economist with extensive knowledge and experiences on policy and strategic issues. He was senior advisor to the managing director general of ADB and senior economist at Strategy and Policy Department at ADB. He leads the annual publication of Asian Economic Integration Report. Areas of his research interest include regional integration, inclusive growth, macroeconomic and international trade policies, and aid effectiveness. He has published research articles in academic journals such as Journal of Development Economics, Journal of Applied Economics, and Journal of World Trade, and wrote numerous blogs and opinion articles on global macroeconomy and international trade and finance. Before joining ADB, he was director at Ministry of Finance and Economy of the Republic of Korea. He got his BA in economics and MA in public administration from Seoul National University, and PhD in economics from University of Washington.


      SANCHITA BASU DAS,
      Economist, Regional Integration and Cooperation Division, ERCD, ADB
      Bio
      Sanchita Basu-Das is an economist at the Regional Cooperation and Integration Division of the Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department of ADB. She contributes to the division’s flagship publications, knowledge products and analytical studies. Her core research interests include regional cooperation initiatives and issues related to them, such as trade, logistics, industrial corridors, tourism, digital economy, institutions, and others. Sanchita has published in international journals including the Singapore Economic Review, Journal of World Trade and Asia Pacific Economic Literature, authored/edited books and book chapters, and wrote for media. Sanchita joined ADB in November 2018 and initially served as an economist in the South Asia Regional Department.

      Prior to joining ADB, Sanchita was the lead researcher for economic affairs at the ASEAN Studies Centre of ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore. She was concurrently a fellow of the Regional Economic Studies Program, coordinator of Singapore APEC Studies Centre and a co-editor of Journal of Southeast Asian Economies (JSEAE), all housed under the same institute. Sanchita earned her PhD in international political economy from Nanyang Technology University, Singapore, and her masters in economics and business management from the University of Delhi and the National University of Singapore, respectively.

    • 5:30
      END