Sub-Mekong countries link up for tourism promotion

Four countries in the lower Mekong sub-region, including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, will enhance cooperation to boost tourism development in the area, according to a recent meeting.

The tourism ministers have also signed the first phase of a regional tourism cooperation project for 2013-2015 period, according to the first ministerial conference on tourism held at Ho Chi Minh City’s Majestic Hotel.

The meeting, a part of the 8th International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC), has set a target that the countries in the lower Mekong sub-region will attract 25 million international visitors by 2015, of which 4 million are intraregional passengers.

The four nations will also have to share information and experience, constructing joint tourism products and human resource training programs, joining hands with each other and with other partners, national and international organizations, to promote joint tourism programs of the four countries, and alternately organizing ministerial conferences.

The ministers will also have to immediately set up a promotion programs to promote the tourism potentials of the sub-region in the annual international tourism events in key tourism markets, including Japan, South Korea, China, Europe, and US with an aim to establish the centers for the sub-regional tourism promotion there.

Hoang Tuan Anh, Vietnam Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that Vietnam will, on behalf of the remaining members of the sub-region, invite representatives of international tour operators, journalists in the Nordic countries to survey across four countries for tourism promotion to all kinds of visitors, from backpack ones to middle and upper level.

Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism of Cambodia, said the four nations need to open new flight routes connect with one another to achieve the goal to welcome 25 million foreign visitors by 2015 . The fact that sub-regional members joining hands together for tourism promotion abroad is extremely important and effective, he added.

Related to the application of one kind of visa for foreign tourists into the four nations, Thong Khon said the four countries currently waiting for Cambodia and Thailand to deploy this type of visa, then will learn from experience to deploy for five countries including Thailand.

All technical problems related to this have been tackled, just awaiting for deployment within this year.

Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Myanmar, Thet Oo, said the visa issuing in Myanmar just need one day to be completed instead of the previous four days, but only the embassies of Myanmar have the right to grant a visa, the apply for visa will take more time.

The year 2011 has recorded remarkable growth of visitors to the four countries, said Hoang Tuan Anh, Vietnam Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Specifically, the region received over 12.3 million international visitors in 2011, an increase of 14.5 percent over 2010, of which visitors from the four countries reached 2.1 million, up 17 percent.
The 8th International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC) kicked off at Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center in HCMC’s District 7 with the participation of 500 local and foreign companies from 30 countries and territories worldwide.

The event, themed “Four Countries-One Destination” (4CODE), is tailored to attract about 18,000 quality international and regional visitors, mostly professionals in the travel, aviation and hotel industries from 33 key tourism markets.

They include Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Southeast Asia, Europe, North America and the United Arab Emirates.

Sourced: tuoitrenews