Dear Mekong Tourism stakeholder,
Two weeks ago, we were invited by the Global Tourism Economy Forum in Macau to join a panel on Regional Collaboration. Please see photo above, and read the story.
We were also invited by the Myanmar Tourism Federation for a workshop in Yangon on how the Mekong Moments collaborative marketing platform can promote Myanmar. The previous week, we did a workshop organised by the Viet Nam National Administration in Hanoi. We invite any association, tourism board, and organization in the GMS to contact us to learn more about Mekong Moments.
We look forward to hearing from you as always, and hope you enjoy this week's newsletter. And remember: sharing is caring.
Have a great week!
Jens Thraenhart
Executive Director, MTCO
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News & Articles of the Week
News & articles that caught our attention over the past week:
Once a destination popular with adventurous Western visitors, when Cambodia’s government looks ahead nowadays its focus is increasingly placed on one nation: China.. ... Read more about it.
The ADB approved the loan in 2014 and said the seaport and other infrastructure in southern Cambodia would open up new opportunities for tourism beyond popular destinations such as the Angkor temples. ... Read more about it.
Travel Veteran Andrew Wood asks the question: "Does tourism promotion have any role in resolving complex religious, political, socio-economic challenges such as currently being experienced by the Rohingya people and the Myanmar authorities?" ... Read more about it.
Myanmar is currently suffering a dip in tourist numbers, largely due to the ongoing crisis in Rakhine State over violence towards the Rohingya-Muslim community that has resulted in a mass exodus. ... Read more about it.
The ASEAN-Korea Centre (Secretary General Kim Young-sun) organized the ‘Mekong Sub-regional Capacity Building Workshop on Cultural Heritage’ from 15 to 20 October in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR. ... Read more about it.
Rapid development of the economy and a burgeoning middle class have created an ideal environment for the growth of the aviation industry in Viet Nam, in ways few might expect from a developing country. ... Read more about it.
In a world shaped by cutting edge technology and diverse cultures, economies have become inextricably interwoven. This calls for trans-regional and trans-national cooperation across a wider range of areas. ... Read more about it.
Royal projects created by the late King to help rural communities are now becoming popular tourist destinations. ... Read more about it.
In Thailand, sustainable tourism development has been intensively implemented in policy level by adopting newly launched ‘SDGs’ from UNDP as guidelines and indicators. ... Read more about it.
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Recent Additions to the Mekong Tourism e-Library
This study was commissioned to better understand the needs of travellers with accessibility needs, and to identify a framework for action for the travel industry.. ... Download for free.
In 2004-2005, at the request of the GMS TWG and with the support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the first GMS Tourism Sector Strategy (GMS TSS) was formulated. In 2016, the GMS TWG updated the document to guide subregional tourism cooperation through 2025. ... Download for free.
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MTCO Seeks e-Library Contributions
In addition to economic reports, statistical analyses, industry studies, and much more, the Mekong Tourism e-Library hosts contributions in the following new categories:
Multi-Country Journeys & Mekong River Cruises
Tour and cruise operators offering multi-destination tours and cruises (defined as tours or cruises that visit more than one Mekong-region country) are welcome to send their eligible itineraries in PDF format. The objective is to develop a resource for those seeking Mekong experiences for their customers (or themselves).
Tourism Development Projects
Economic development agencies (bilateral or multilateral) and non-government organisations (NGOs) are encouraged to send, in PDF format, scopes of work, terms of reference, reports, and case studies pertaining to tourism-related projects in the Mekong region. The objective is to develop a resource for all Mekong tourism stakeholders.
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MTCO Seeks Tourism Experts
Subject matter experts, such as consultants, executives, and industry journalists, who are active in GMS travel & tourism, are eligible to become “Mekong Tourism Experts“. In return for regular (non-exclusive) business-, trade- or policy-related content, Experts will receive a range of profile-enhancing benefits ... View and register.
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MTCO Seeks Travel Storytellers
MTCO welcomes anyone with a passion for storytelling who wishes to share their unique and unusual travel experiences: multi-destination Mekong journeys and experiences linked to social, cultural, or environmental causes. In return for regular content, Storytellers will receive a range of profile-enhancing benefits ... View and register.
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Mekong Tourism is a collaborative effort between Cambodia, China, Lao, Myanmar, Thailand,
and Vietnam to promote the Greater Mekong Subregion as a single tourism destination.
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