The Mekong Region is on its way to regain the levels of tourism revenue it had prior to the pandemic – and it looks promising. However, a return to the pre-COVID norm could potentially threaten the return of similar levels of overtourism, the type that shut down Thailand’s Maya Bay and threatened Cambodia’s Angkor temples. On one hand, no national tourism organization (NTO) wants to ever turn tourists away. On the other hand, NTOs must manage carrying capacity: dispersing tourism beyond established tourist destinations to “off-the-beaten-path” places and times.
Promoting a geographically-dispersed tourism approach has been high on the agenda for Greater Mekong Sub-Region (GMS) countries – it was a key area of discussion in the recently-concluded Mekong Tourism Forum 2023. NTOs throughout the GMS are already pursuing tourist dispersal strategies of their own, using one or more of these approaches:
Set arrival limits to popular destinations: Restricting access through carrying capacity limits can help smooth the ebbs and flows of tourists. Thailand’s Maya Bay, for instance, now restricts tourist access to no more than 4,100 visitors daily, about half of what it usually saw in the mid-2010s before it was shut down.
Adjust pricing to balance supply and demand: Raising ticket prices can help mitigate tourism flow while raising revenues for essential maintenance. The popular Viet Nam tourist town Hoi An, for instance, has raised entrance fees, charging VND120,000 (US$5.11) for foreigners and VND80,000 ($3.41) for locals. The revenues are expected to help improve infrastructure, restore downgraded relics and to organize tourism events.
Encourage visits during off-peak seasons: NTOs and private-sector operators can play up the low prices available during the low seasons throughout the GMS. Stakeholders can go as far as rebranding the whole off-peak season – in Cambodia, for instance, there’s a push to rename the rainy season the “green season” to highlight the more verdant landscapes that can only be seen during the monsoon rains.
Develop new attractions and promote less-popular sites and areas. With the wealth of tourist-eligible real estate in the GMS, this can be a tough call. In the recent Mekong Tourism Forum, a photo exhibition of the Mekong’s “Hidden Gems” put the region’s most attractive off-the-beaten-path places into a list: the exhibit featured the lesser-known, yet most charming destinations of the region.
The Hidden Gems include off-the-beaten-path settlements like Guangxi’s Chengyang Eight Villages; birdwatching areas like Myanmar’s Indawgyi Lake; and hiking trails like Cambodia’s Cardamom mountains.
The Destination Management Organizations now are not only defining and promoting their most promising new destinations, but also working on enhancing tourism development and infrastructure, to make sure the local communities enjoy the benefit of the dispersed tourism.
