Mekong nations promote region as single tourism destination

The six countries represented at the Mekong Tourism Forum 2011 on May 27-28 in Pakxe district, Champassak province, have agreed on four main approaches to market the region as a single tourism destination.

Tourism officials will focus primarily on advertising tourism developments, tourism product development, improved transport facilities for tourists, and training for industry personnel.The six nations in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) are China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar.

“Delegates to the forum congratulated Laos on a job well done now that visitors can obtain a visa on entering the country at several immigration points,” said Director General of the Planning and Cooperation Department of the Lao National Tourism Administration, Mr Sounh Manivong.

Laos now has eight international border crossings with Thailand, seven with Vietnam, and one each with China, Cambodia and Myanmar.The GMS countries border the Mekong over a distance of more than 4,000 km from the Tibetan plateau in China to the Mekong Delta and into the South China Sea.

Mr Sounh told Vientiane Times on Saturday the six nations plan to significantly upgrade the skills of tourism leaders and trainers in the subregion to produce good quality tourism.Laos is planning to build a training centre for tourism personnel, the cost of which is expected to be about US$12 million.

Delegates to the forum agreed to develop and promote the Mekong as a single destination, offering a diversity of good quality and high-yielding products that help to distribute the benefits of tourism more widely.They will also foster the development of multi-country tours in the subregion by stimulating demand from appropriate high-yield markets and products through joint promotional activities.

National tourism sectors will also promote higher standards in the management of natural and cultural resources for conservation and tourism purposes, and enhance measures to manage the negative aspects of tourism.Mr Berlinh said that for many years now, tourism has been an important contributor to improving social and economic conditions and generating revenue for local people in many countries.

The more than 200 delegates were proud and pleased that the forum is being hosted by the Lao National Tourism Administration in Champassak province, he said.The Mekong Tourism Forum 2010 took place in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Next year’s event will be hosted by Chiang Rai province, Thailand.

Source = laovoices