Interview with Phun Kevin
Director of the International Centre for Responsible Tourism – Southeast Asia. Responsible Borneo
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Phun Kevin
Director of the International Centre for Responsible Tourism – Southeast Asia. Responsible Borneo
From your position leading ICRT Southeast Asia, how would you describe the region’s role in consolidating responsible and sustainable tourism, considering the cultural, environmental, and social diversity that characterizes its different member countries?
SE Asia is seeing an increasing interest in mainstreaming its responsible tourism ideologies and associated initiatives in the last decade, after spending the past two decades learning about the concept. The region is diverse and that brings with it a charming and unique set of perspectives around the implementation of the concept of responsible tourism.
In your opinion, what are the main challenges Southeast Asia currently faces to implement effective responsible tourism practices, and what kind of institutional or academic support do you consider necessary to overcome them?
The absence of relevant policies and the difficulties of regulatory actions to support policy work; one reason for the slow progress in terms of regulating and mandating initiatives is the vast demographics and landscapes across SE Asia and the many different challenges destinations bring with them.
Within the activities of REBORN (Responsible Borneo), how are local strategies aligned with regional sustainability policies, and how does ICRT contribute to ensuring coherence and measurable results?
REBORN brings together the practitioners and academics and government together; we provide the opportunities for the different stakeholders to connect and collaborate, and learn from one another in the process. Through our annual ICRTH conference and the many relevant activities that happen throughout the year, we attempt to facilitate discussions and encourage potential partnerships to be explored.
Could you share examples of successful projects driven by ICRT Southeast Asia or REBORN that demonstrate tangible results in social responsibility and tourism sustainability?
We are a young organisation but we have seen companies learning from one another in the annual RT awards that we started 2 years ago. A number of members in ICRT SE Asia are practitioners who do consulting (like myself), key executives from tourism companies and academics who have done much research in the areas around responsible tourism. One example of a project was we facilitated a study tour for government officials through REBORN in 2024 who wanted to learn about Sarawak’s management of the ecotourism sector.
In your experience, what role do universities and research centers in Southeast Asia play in training new professionals committed to the principles of responsible and ethical tourism?
The academic or learning institutions play a big role in creating and raising awareness amongst professionals in the tourism industry of the concept and also facilitate cross learning between one another.
How do you perceive the relationship between responsible tourism and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and what concrete actions is ICRT undertaking to directly contribute to their achievement in the region?
The concept of RT goes very nicely with the 17 SDGs, even if the goals get renamed and change in 2030. The ICRT SEA is currently looking at strengthening the annual ICRT conference in its outreach and creating sister events like forums and conferences. For example, we could be looking at starting an ASEAN emerging leaders in responsible tourism in the next 2 years. We are also keen to get more involved in consultancy projects in the region, and doing that requires strengthening our partnerships with organisations in the region who are actively shaping the sustainable tourism landscape in the region.
Do you consider that tourism’s recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic has strengthened interest in more sustainable and ethical models? What lessons have this process left in the field of responsible tourism?
One of the key lessons is probably how tourism stakeholders can and should be engaged. Pre covid models of top down decision making was already slowly becoming obsolete and a bottom up approach, which requires responsible tourism practitioners to understand needs on the ground is fast becoming a norm in many RT projects.
From your perspective, how can responsible tourism serve as a tool to strengthen cultural identity and social cohesion in Southeast Asian communities, many of which are affected by accelerated globalization?
Responsible tourism should be a conduit or a vehicle, to enable and facilitate many initiatives related to sustainable development to take roots in communities. RT should be something that brings in ideas and people together to tackle the many complicated challenges associated with culture, heritage and community development.
What role do local and national governments play in promoting responsible tourism, and what types of policies or incentives could generate greater private-sector commitment in this process?
National governments often set the federal policies, provide the directions and the funding and other specific resources, local governments bring about the specific stakeholders together and identify potential solutions to specific issues. Public private partnerships (PPPS) is now increasingly common in responsible tourism initiatives. Corporate social responsibility can be a useful way of enabling companies to be both involved in making tourism more sustainable without facing the prospects of little or no ROI.
In the context of growing digitalization, how is ICRT Southeast Asia using emerging technologies to promote transparency, traceability, and education in tourism sustainability?
We advocate, we raise awareness, we have researchers and practitioners who are more or less at the forefront of many new and emerging technologies in the tourism industry.
Which international partnerships do you consider most relevant to strengthening the ICRT network in Southeast Asia, and how do these collaborations contribute to the exchange of best practices and specialized knowledge?
With governments, with regional tourism organisations, with destinations and their stakeholders, with development organisations (WB, ADB) etc. Collaborative efforts can always bring ideas across countries that tailor to specific communities and groups.
How do ICRT and REBORN address tourism governance in sensitive territories, such as protected areas or Indigenous communities, to ensure benefits are distributed equitably?
To begin with, the idea of equal distribution of benefits rarely or hardly exists in tourism; what we should advocate is equitable involvement. We would like to slowly become a centre of influence, to be able to bridge cultural nuances and differences to bring about culturally respectful but practical changes.
Finally, what is your medium- and long-term vision for ICRT Southeast Asia, and what legacy do you hope to consolidate regarding sustainability, ethics, and responsibility within the regional and international tourism landscape?
For me, I see an ICRT SE Asia as a go to resource for many regional stakeholders to make responsible tourism a more strategic, localized concept that evolves with time.
With this conversation, we conclude an interview that has not only offered an expert perspective on the challenges and opportunities of responsible tourism in Southeast Asia but has also highlighted the human quality and professionalism of Phun Kevin, whose clarity, warmth, and deep commitment to Borneo and its environment are truly inspiring. His vision demonstrates that tourism can be a transformative tool when carried out with sensitivity, rigor, and profound respect for local communities and biodiversity. From the Tourism and Society Think Tank (TSTT), we reaffirm our commitment to building strong alliances with leaders like him, promoting initiatives that foster balanced, ethical, and sustainable development. We sincerely appreciate his time and his generous willingness to share knowledge and experiences.
The authors are responsible for the choice and presentation of the facts contained in this document and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of Tourism and Society Think Tank and do not commit the Organization, and should not be attributed to TSTT or its members.
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