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11 May, 2015

Still no ASEAN brand logo at ATM Dubai country pavilions

Dubai – Malaysian Tourism Minister Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz has publicly provided his official commitment to ensure that all ASEAN member countries display the ASEAN logo at their country pavilions at future travel trade shows worldwide. He made this pledge at the Malaysian press conference in his capacity as representative of a country that holds the chairmanship of ASEAN this year.

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The official ASEAN logo

The pledge came in response to a comment-cum-question from this editor who informed him that not a single ASEAN country pavilion at the ATM was displaying the official ASEAN logo (see pictures below). The ASEAN country exhibitors included Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Cambodia.

The Indonesia pavilion displayed the subsidiary branding logo, “Southeast Asia – Feel The Warmth” but not the main ASEAN logo symbolising ASEAN unity.

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The Malaysian Tourism Minister (in white jacket) along with other Malaysian tourism executives at the Press conference.

The question was: How can ASEAN countries claim to be living up to the many plans, projects and campaigns designed supposedly to promote ASEAN as a single destination when they can’t even emblazon the ASEAN logo on the country pavilions, in accordance with their own lofty resolutions and communiqués?

The minister had no answer to the question, but acknowledged the veracity of the comment. He pledged to ensure that it is rectified, especially as Malaysia is chairing ASEAN this year, and 2015 will mark the official launch of the regional integration process.

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The Philippines pavilion.

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The Malaysian pavilion

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The Thailand pavilion

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The Cambodian pavilion

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The Indonesian pavilion