Published on August 5, 2026
Third consecutive ASEAN Day partnership marks debut of updated regional tourism branding reflecting Timor-Leste’s entry into ASEAN
Jakarta, Indonesia — 8 August 2026 — The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has teamed up once again with online travel platform Agoda and AirAsia MOVE to launch a new regional tourism campaign designed to inspire Southeast Asians to explore their own neighbourhood and experience Southeast Asia as one connected destination.
“SEABlings: Closer Than You Think” launches today to coincide with the 59th anniversary of ASEAN Day and will run through the end of the year. The campaign advances two of ASEAN’s key strategic priorities — the ASEAN Tourism Sectoral Plan 2026-2030 and the ASEAN Tourism Marketing Strategy 2026-2030 — and contributes to ASEAN’s broader efforts to encourage intra-regional travel, strengthen regional tourism identity, and promote multi-destination experiences across Southeast Asia.
Today’s launch also marks a significant milestone: the debut of updated ASEAN tourism branding that, for the first time, reflects Timor-Leste’s membership as ASEAN’s eleventh member state, reshaping the region’s tourism identity to welcome its newest member into the ASEAN family.
One Region, Countless Experiences
“SEABlings” — a portmanteau of “SEA” and “siblings” — captures the campaign’s central idea: that ASEAN’s member states are bound not only by shared heritage and geography, but by a closeness that makes spontaneous, multi-destination travel genuinely within reach. A traveller can wake up in one country and be somewhere entirely different by lunch.
Campaign content will roll out across short-form video, social media, and influencer storytelling, organised around five themes: shared flavours, shared cultures, shared words, shared experiences, and hidden discoveries. Audiences can follow the campaign at VisitSoutheastAsia.Travel and across ASEAN’s social media channels using the hashtag #CloserSEABlings.
“This campaign reflects something we have long known but perhaps not always said clearly enough: ASEAN is not a collection of separate destinations — it is one interconnected experience. ‘Closer Than You Think’ captures that idea beautifully. At its heart, it is built on trust, confidence, and a shared belief in the region’s potential — brought to life through the platforms and reach of partners like Agoda and AirAsia MOVE, who make it possible for travellers to discover and experience ASEAN as it truly is,” said Dr. Edward Koh, Lead Country Coordinator for ASEAN Tourism Marketing.
This is the third consecutive year that ASEAN, Agoda, and AirAsia MOVE have joined forces for ASEAN Day, building on the momentum of the #ImaginASEAN campaign launched in 2024. The partnership reflects ASEAN’s recognition that advancing regional tourism requires the digital reach and booking infrastructure that private sector partners bring, complementing public campaigns with the tools that turn inspiration into action.
Agoda: Reaching High-Intent Travellers
Agoda’s contribution to “SEABlings” will focus on high-intent travellers, namely those already actively searching for a destination, through targeted display advertising running across its platforms from 31 August through 31 December. Each advertisement will direct users to a dedicated campaign landing page featuring curated hotel listings across ASEAN destinations, designed to convert interest into confirmed bookings.
Agoda will also publish a series of five travel guide articles, each built around one of the campaign’s five themes, published initially in English with translated versions to follow.
“Our 2026 Travel Outlook Report survey found that intra-Asian travel and microtravel—short, spontaneous trips that usually last 1–3 days—are top of mind for travellers. Southeast Asia is uniquely positioned to capture this momentum. The opportunity now lies in bridging traveller inspiration with the journeys that follow. Agoda’s focus is on ensuring that every touchpoint, from inspiration to booking and throughout the trip itself, is clear and seamless. We believe that is where technology-driven platforms can contribute most meaningfully to the region’s tourism priorities, and our continued partnership with ASEAN is a reflection of that commitment,” said Damien Pfirsch, Chief Commercial Officer, Agoda.
AirAsia MOVE: Making the Region Bookable
AirAsia MOVE’s activation runs from 3 to 31 August as part of a broader push to inspire travellers to uncover more of Southeast Asia’s diverse cultures, landscapes and hidden treasures. The campaign encourages travellers to combine trips across borders, making it easier to experience the region’s street food, cultural heritage, wellness escapes and natural wonders in one seamless journey.
Nadia Omer, CEO of AirAsia MOVE, said, “Travel has always brought people closer. In Southeast Asia, the real opportunity lies in how we come together to unlock it as one region. Greater connectivity and stronger collaboration between countries and partners are creating new possibilities for how, why, and how often people travel.
“At MOVE, we do not just enable travel; we are shaping a new category of leisure travel for ASEAN by making cross-border journeys more accessible, affordable, and spontaneous. By focusing on the needs of budget-conscious travellers, we are unlocking new opportunities for exploration, from first-time trips to frequent regional getaways, while making it easier for everyone to enjoy the diversity of Southeast Asia. We are proud to support the ‘SEABlings: Closer Than You Think’ campaign and ASEAN’s shared vision of a truly connected region, ensuring that exploring neighbouring countries feels simpler and well within reach for everyone.”
Where to Find the Campaign
Travellers can explore participating deals, destination guides, and campaign content at:
- Visit Southeast Asia: VisitSoutheastAsia.Travel/Seablings
- Agoda: agoda.com
- AirAsia MOVE: airasia.com/move
Follow the campaign on social media using #CloserSEABlings and across ASEAN’s official tourism channels:
- Facebook: facebook.com/visitsoutheastasiaofficial
- Instagram: instagram.com/visitsoutheastasiaofficial
Agoda, a digital travel platform, helps anyone see the world for less with its great value deals on a global network of over 6 million hotels and holiday properties, plus flights, activities, and more. Agoda.com and the Agoda mobile app are available in 39 languages and supported by 24/7 customer support.
Headquartered in Singapore, Agoda is part of Booking Holdings (Nasdaq: BKNG), employs over 7,500 people globally, and is dedicated to leveraging best-in-class technology to make travel easy and affordable.
About AirAsia MOVE (MOVE)
AirAsia MOVE is Capital A’s travel platform and voted Asia’s Best Travel Booking App at the World Travel Tech Awards for three consecutive years since 2023. It envisions a comprehensive travel ecosystem, offering affordable, seamless, and personalised travel experiences across ASEAN and beyond. As a travel platform, MOVE offers over 700 global airlines and more than a million hotels worldwide, alongside a full suite of travel services including airport transfers, travel insurance, duty-free shopping, attractions, live-events ticketing, and more. The platform aims to be a social experience for travellers, evolving into a robust community to facilitate discovery and conversational commerce, complemented by a strong loyalty programme and the AI-driven AskBo chatbot. Download the MOVE App here.
About ASEAN
The ASEAN National Tourism Organisations (ASEAN NTOs) collaborate to promote Southeast Asia as a single tourism destination under the vision “A Destination for Every Dream,” celebrating the region’s rich diversity, shared heritage, and seamless connectivity across eleven ASEAN Member States.
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