ASEAN TOURIST LEGAL SECURITY INDEX: RECONSTRUCTING LEGAL PROTECTION AND CERTAINTY FOR TOURISTS THROUGH A COMPARATIVE LEGAL ANALYSIS OF INDONESIA, THAILAND, SINGAPORE, AND VIETNAM

Abstract

This study aims to develop the concept of the ASEAN Tourist Legal Security Index as a framework for assessing legal protection and legal certainty for tourists in ASEAN and as a conceptual basis for strengthening policies and reconstructing cross-border legal frameworks. The study focuses on analyzing legal protection, identifying similarities, differences, and weaknesses in the legal frameworks of Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam, and formulating a preliminary index concept. It employs normative legal research using statutory, conceptual, and comparative legal approaches. Secondary data, consisting of primary and secondary legal materials and supporting documents, were collected through literature reviews and legal document searches. The data were then analyzed qualitatively through the inventory, interpretation, and comparison of regulatory provisions. The findings indicate that all four countries have legal frameworks relevant to tourist protection, but differ in regulatory structures, the scope of protection, the liability of tourism businesses, and mechanisms for resolving legal disputes. This study proposes a preliminary index comprising six dimensions: clarity of tourists’ rights; safety and security; liability of tourism businesses; transparency of information and contracts; access to complaints mechanisms and dispute resolution; and remedies for losses. The index requires further refinement of its indicators, verification of legal materials, and additional validation before it can be applied as a cross-country assessment instrument.