ASEAN TODAY Business & Travel News informs you about the economic development in the ten ASEAN countries Brunei, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam – including its attraction as a region for tourism (Leisure & MICE). ASEAN TODAY also reports on the developments in the neighboring region.

ASEAN (The Association of Southeast Asian Nations) is a political and economic organization, which was formed on 8 August 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Since then, membership has expanded to include Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Its aims include accelerating economic growth, social progress, cultural development among its members, protection of regional peace and stability, and opportunities for member countries to discuss differences peacefully.

ASEAN covers a land area of 4.46 million km², which is 3% of the total land area of Earth, and has a population of approximately 600 million people, which is 8.8% of the world’s population. The sea area of ASEAN is about three times larger than its land counterpart. In 2012, its combined nominal GDP had grown to more than US$ 2.3 trillion. If ASEAN were a single entity, it would rank as the eighth-largest economy in the world.