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21 Nov, 2016

Tunku Iskandar, President, ASEAN Tourism Association

ASEAN Travel & Tourism Hall of Fame – Initiated by Travel Impact Newswire Executive Editor Imtiaz Muqbil to recognise the many veterans who helped grow and shape ASEAN tourism over the last 50 years.

 Tunku Iskandar

Date of Birth: 01 January 1947

Marital status: Married to Maneesah Ahmad since 1970, 3 daughters / 3 sons-in-law, 4 grandchildren

Education:

M.Sc. International Marketing, University of Strathclyde, UK.

Professional Career:

Fully involved in travel & tourism business since 1972, in various capacities:

  • Mitra Malaysia Travel and Mitra Kembara Travel – Group President
  • Pacific World Travel – Group President
  • World Express Tours Malaysia – Group President
  • APG Malaysia – Group President

Past President of Pacific Asia Travel Association, Federation of ASEAN Travel Agents, ASEAN Tourism Association, Skal Club Kuala Lumpur. Board Member / Regional Vice President APAC of APG Network. Member, Advisory Board, KL Tourism Bureau.

Elected President of MATTA in 1983, commensurately becoming President of ASEANTA.

In 1988, began taken a more active role in PATA becoming its President-Elect (and President in 1989).

In 1999, returned as President of MATTA. Again took an active role in ASEANTA and chaired its Intra-ASEAN Travel Committee, working closely with Elly Hutabarat of Indonesia, the then ASEANTA President.

Contribution to ASEAN Tourism:

First came into contact with ASEAN tourism in 1978-79 in an informal gathering of tourism related personalities from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore in Jakarta to discuss the organisation of a regular gathering of ASEAN tourism. Among the personalities at that meeting were Abdullah Jonid, Wuriyastuti Sunario (Indonesia) and Sri Budoyo (Indonesia). Malaysia, under the leadership of Abdullah Jonid, volunteered to organise the first such gathering, to be known as the ASEAN Tourism Forum, in 1981 in Genting Highlands.

Appointed Secretary of ATF, in his capacity as Hon. Secretary General of MATTA. Subsequently, appointed Secretary General of ASEANTA, to revamp it from an Indonesian-based association of individual tourism companies, into a “federation” of the national associations of travel agencies, hotels and airlines of the then five countries (Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia). Worked with the late Kip Bahadun to rewrite the constitution to make it suitable for its new role.

Source: Tunku Iskandar