GMS NTOs & GMS Ministers' Meetings Yield Results in Phnom Penh

On 16 and 17 January 2011, during the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2011 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, meetings were held of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) National Tourism Organizations (NTOs) and GMS Tourism Ministers respectively. Government officials from the six GMS countries were joined in discussions by representatives of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), French embassy and other development partners, international organizations, and the diplomatic corps. With the support of ... Full story >>

Record Crowds Turn Out For 30th ASEAN Tourism Forum

The ASEAN Tourism Forum 2011 (ATF2011) – Southeast Asia's longest-running annual leisure travel trade event – drew record crowds from 15 to 21 January at Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Center in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The event attracted some 1,600 heads of National Tourist Organizations (NTOs), Tourism Ministers, travel suppliers, international buyers, media and other global tourism professionals. Meanwhile, ATF TRAVEX 2011 (the adjoining B2B travel fair that took place from ... Full story >>

 

30th ASEAN Tourism Forum Wrap-up

The ATF 2011 consisted of two major parts, the political and institutional meetings of ASEAN and GMS from January 15-18 which took place at the recently opened Sofitel Phokeethra, and TRAVEX (Travel Exchange trade show) from January 19 -21. On January 17th the Ministers of Tourism of the six GMS countries unanimously approved the recommendations of the GMS Tourism Sector Strategy midterm review and the proposed road map for 2011-2015 presented by MTCO Project Coordinator ... Full story >>

 

GMS Workshop on Community Based Tourism in Thailand

From the 23rd to the 28th January, 2011, a delegation of 28 tourism professionals from Myanmar participated in a theoretical and practical training course, which increased their knowledge about Community Based Tourism (CBT) in Thailand and introduced key tools to help them to identify appropriate communities and to initiate successful CBT in Myanmar. Organised for Myanmar tourism professionals by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand and the ... Full story >>

 

GMS Countries Promote Regional Tourism Initiative

The Hanotimes - Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar will jointly produce a documentary titled, 'Four Countries - one Destination' with the aim of promoting the countries' tourism industry and strengthening their co-operation in the field. Full story >>

 

 

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Sayabouli Now Online

LNTA STDP project funded under a grant from ADB just announced the publication of "A Guide to Sayabouly" which is now available online. Other recent additions have been made to the Web-based Knowledge Center, including guidebooks on the Savannakhet Historic Trail and the Tea Caravan Trail (Bokeo and Luang Namtha), maps of the Tea Caravan Trail, Houaphanh province and more. Full story >>

 

 

Explorers Discover Spectacular Caves in Vietnam

Last year, a cave was found in central Vietnam, and is only now really getting explored. Mark Jenkins recently spent some time there, and it seems to have vastly surpassed his expectations. The January issue of National Geographic covers what has been found out about this cave. Full story >>

 

 

 

Thailand Seeks UNESCO World Heritage Status for Kaeng Krachan Forest & Phuket Portuguese Architecture

Thailand is proposing new nominations for the UNESCO World Heritage Site list for natural and cultural sites. The National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, which comes under the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, announced that Kaeng Krachan forest area will be submitted for consideration at UNESCO's meeting this July, in Bahrain. Kaeng Krachan covers 482,225 hectares on the eastern slope of the Tenasserim mountain range that borders Myanmar.The area is home to more than... Full Story >>
 

EU to Provide 11 Million Euros for Environment and Society Responsible Tourism in Vietnam

The European Union (EU) will provide 11 million Euros for a five-year environment and society responsible tourism (ESRT) development programme in Vietnam. A ceremony to announce the finance agreement for the country's largest tourism technical assistance project was organised in Hanoi on Jan. 14 in the presence of Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho Anh Tuan, and Head of the EU Delegation to Vietnam, Ambassador Sean Doyle. The Vietnamese Government will contribute around ... Full story >>

 

Connecting the GMS

Vietnam has opened a new international airport in Can Tho, hoping to welcome more tourists to the country's southern Mekong Delta. The Vietnam News said that services began on New Year's Day and the runway is now long enough to accommodate large, long-haul jets, such as the Boeing 777.The airport is designed to receive up to five million passengers a year, and presented as the fourth international airport in the country. The airport is located on the outskirts of Can Tho City, a busy commercial hub ... Full story >>

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Special Announcements EU Provides Scholarships to GMS Citizens to Follow Erasmus Mundus Sustainable e-Tourism Programme The Sustainable e-Tourism Erasmus Mundus programme welcomes applicants from GMS countries who are at different levels of study, PhD and ... Full Story >>   Yunnan Mekong Travel Magazine Launched at ATF The MTCO hosted the launch of the newly published Yunnan Mekong Travel Magazine last month at their booth during ATF. Full Story >>   Cambodia Host Second "Salon des Créateurs" Artists and Creators Show Cambodia is a meeting point for many designers, artists, artisans, fashion designers inspired by its culture and used the products and ... Full Story >>   New JICA Project in the Lao Tourism Sector JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) continues to support the tourism sector in Laos. A new project called Laos Pilot Project ... Full Story >>   Noakes appointed to Global Sustainable Tourism Council A leading advocate for sustainable tourism approaches in the Pacific Asia region has been appointed to the Board of Directors of ... Full Story >> TOP