The purpose of the ASEAN Clean Tourist City Standard (ACTCS) is to provide ASEAN member countries with a tool that will improve the quality of tourism in their cities, increase their marketing competitiveness but also improve the situation of local residents and their livelihood by alleviating poverty. It is also designed to protect the environment thus responding to the impacts of climate change and contributing to the sustainable development of ASEAN cities. It is vital to note that the ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan 2011-2015 (ATSP) has indicated the enhancement of the ability of ASEAN tourism to address the climate change issue as one of the priority actions in order to accomplish its strategic directions aimed at increasing the quality of services and facilities in the region. The standard is based on a series of indicators that will evaluate how sustainable ASEAN cities currently are, the quality of the tourism they offer and identify areas that can be improved. It will provide ASEAN member countries with benchmarks to aim for and ultimately lead to greater tourist satisfaction, greater numbers of visitors and better conditions for the local population.