Greater Mekong Subregion executives to discuss sustainable tourism

The Hoiana Resort & Golf in Quang Nam will be the main venue of the Mekong Tourism Forum 2022. Photo: Hoiana Resort & Golf

Hosted by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the forum’s focal points will be strategies and implementation for the sustainable recovery of regional tourism.

Public- and private-sector tourism leaders and experts from the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) and beyond will meet and discuss new strategies to connect sustainable tourism suppliers and buyers with markets, financing, and the role of nature and social enterprises as powerful tools for inclusive and sustainable tourism development. The event will also cover technology solutions to unlock green tourism opportunities.

There will also be reflections on lessons learned from the ongoing regional tourism recovery while rethinking long-term post-crisis tourism planning and development approaches to strengthen regional tourism supply chains and foster cross-sectoral collaboration.

Moreover, the event features a sustainable tourism exhibition from Vietnam and other GMS countries showcasing responsible tourism products and services with a positive environmental and community impact. The exhibition will also include experiential hands-on workshops to foster a better understanding of local cultures. The organisers are inviting the participation of micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises in the subregion.

The forum’s keynote speakers and panel moderators will include executives and leaders from the People's Committee of Quang Nam Province; the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office; the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung; the Pacific Asia Travel Association; the Asian Development Bank, Destination Mekong, Agoda, and GMS members.

First held in 1996, the Mekong Tourism Forum is a time-tested initiative between Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam to promote and discuss regional tourism development. For the first 10 years, it was organised by the Pacific Asia Travel Association.

Since 2010, the GMS member countries have co-hosted the event with the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office annually on a rotating basis. The event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.

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