Program
Yangon, Myanmar
Mekong Tourism Forum 2026
“Tourism for People, Travel with Purpose”
16-18 June 2026 | Yangon, Myanmar
TENTATIVE PROGRAMME
Agenda
| Time | Date | Program | Attendees | Venue |
| Tuesday, 16 June 2026 | Welcome Dinner | ||
| 17:30-20:30 | Welcome Dinner Dress code: Business casual / national costume | Lotte Hotel Yangon |
| Wednesday, 17 June 2026 | Mekong Tourism Forum (MTF) 2026 | ||
| All Day | GMS Gastronomy Tourism Exhibition Space (Day 3) | Pan Pacific Yangon Hotel |
| 08:00 – 08:30 | Registration for Mekong Tourism Forum 2026 Dress code: Business attire | Pan Pacific Yangon Hotel |
| 08:30 – 17:00 | Mekong Tourism Forum (MTF) | Pan Pacific Yangon Hotel |
| 08:30 – 09:00 | Registration | |
| 09:00 – 09.05 | Welcome and Introduction By The Master of Ceremonies | |
| 09:05 – 09:15 | Opening Remarks By the Ministry of Hotels, Tourism and Culture, Myanmar | |
| 09:15 – 09:20 | MTCO’s Welcome Remarks By Ms. Suvimol Thanasarakij, Executive Director, Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office | |
| 09:20 – 09:30 | Group Photo | |
| 09:30- 10:10 | Keynote Address: “Tourism for People: From Principles to Lasting Impact” By Mr. Masaru Takayama, Chairperson, Global Ecotourism Network & Advisor, Asian Ecotourism Network Tourism is often described as a force for good, but meaningful impact depends on the values and behavior shaping destinations, businesses, communities, and travelers. Drawing on more than 25 years of tourism experience across Asia, including in complex and evolving destinations, this keynote explores how tourism can create long-term value for people and places through the 4Cs framework: Conservation, Community, Culture, and Commerce. Moving beyond sustainability as a compliance exercise, the session reflects on how responsibility can become part of the everyday mindset of future generations through education, local engagement, and value-driven tourism development. Combining practical experience with broader reflection, the keynote highlights how tourism can strengthen local livelihoods, protect cultural and natural heritage, and build more resilient and purpose-driven destinations for the future. | Pan Pacific Yangon Hotel |
| 10:15 – 10:45 | Networking Break | |
| 10:45 – 11:20 | Insight Session: “Tourism Outlook & Travel Trends – What Purpose-Driven Travellers Are Seeking” By Mr Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, Head, Country Representative (Thailand), AirAsia MOVE. This session provides a forward-looking perspective on regional travel trends and evolving traveller behaviour, based on market insights and travel data. It explores how travellers’ preferences are shifting towards more meaningful, responsible, and experience-driven travel, and what this means for destinations and tourism stakeholders in the Mekong region. The session will offer practical insights into how purpose-driven travel trends can be understood and translated into opportunities that benefit both travellers and local destinations. | Pan Pacific Yangon Hotel |
| 11:20 – 11:55 | Experience Sharing Session: “From Community to Travellers – Practical Lessons from the Ground” By Ms. Wanvipa Phanumat, Community-based Tourism Expert. Moving from insight to practice, this session shares real-world experience from the ground on what makes locally rooted tourism initiatives succeed. Rather than introducing concepts, the discussion focuses on practical lessons, success factors, and common challenges in connecting local people with travellers in a meaningful way. Through concrete examples, the session highlights how tourism can be designed and managed to create shared value for local hosts and visitors alike, keeping people at the centre of the tourism experience. | Pan Pacific Yangon Hotel |
| 12:00 – 13:30 | Networking Lunch | Pan Pacific Yangon Hotel |
| 13:30 – 14:00 | Regional Industry Perspective: “Connecting the Mekong: Aviation and Partnerships Enabling Purpose-Driven Tourism” By Mr. Eddy Krismeidi Soemawilaga, President, ASEAN Tourism Association. This session explores how regional connectivity, particularly through aviation and cross-border collaboration, plays a critical role in enabling more inclusive and sustainable tourism in the Mekong region. From improving accessibility to secondary destinations to supporting multi-country travel flows, the discussion highlights how public and private sector partnerships can unlock new opportunities for destinations, businesses, and communities. Drawing on ASEAN-level experience, the session offers insights into how connectivity can move beyond infrastructure to become a strategic enabler of tourism that benefits both people and places. | Pan Pacific Yangon Hotel |
| 14:00 – 15:10 | Panel Discussion 1 : ”People at the Centre of Tourism” The session explores how tourism can be designed and delivered in ways that genuinely place people at the centre. Through dialogue and practical examples, the discussion examines key dimensions such as inclusion, diversity, women’s participation, accessibility, and capacity building. Participants will reflect on how tourism initiatives can empower local people, strengthen skills and leadership, and create safe, dignified, and meaningful opportunities across the tourism value chain. The session encourages shared learning on how people-centred approaches can translate purpose into lasting impact on the ground. | Pan Pacific Yangon Hotel |
| 15:10 – 15:40 | Networking Break | |
| 15:40- 16:50 | Panel Discussion 2 : “Living Culture & Creative Expression” Moderated by Dr Scott Smith, Senior Lecturer, Assumption University The session explores culture as a living practice shaped by communities, heritage, creativity, and everyday experiences. Drawing on perspectives from community leaders, heritage practitioners, tourism experts, and cultural organizations, the panel examines how tourism can support the preservation and interpretation of living culture — from traditional villages and local ways of life to heritage spaces and creative expression. The discussion highlights how tourism can move beyond iconic landmarks to strengthen cultural identity, sustain local livelihoods, and foster deeper, more meaningful connections between places and travelers. | Pan Pacific Yangon Hotel |
| 16:50 – 17:00 | Closing Remarks By the Ministry of Hotels, Tourism and Culture, Myanmar | |
| 18:00 | Transfer from the official hotels to dinner venue | |
| 18:30 – 20:30 | Dinner Reception Dress code: National Attire or Business Attire. MTF Handover Ceremony By the Ministry of Hotels, Tourism and Culture, Myanmar and The Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Thailand | Pan Pacific Yangon Hotel |
| 20:30 | Transfer back to the official hotels | |
| Thursday, 18 June 2026 | Technical Tour | ||
| 08:00-17:00 | Technical Tour Dress code: Casual and comfortable shoes (modest attire covering shoulders and knees for visits to religious and cultural sites) Delegates will explore Bago, located approximately 80 km northeast of Yangon and one of Myanmar’s most historic cities. As the former capital of the Hanthawaddy Kingdom, Bago is home to impressive pagodas, royal heritage sites, and enduring Buddhist traditions. The tour offers an opportunity to discover the city’s rich cultural heritage while learning how tourism can help preserve cultural assets and support local communities. | |
| Evening | Explore Yangon at your leisure | |
| Friday, 19 June 2026 | Departure | ||
| All Day | Departure | |
*Please note that the program is subject to change without prior notice.*
