Steven Schipani has spent more than 20 years managing shifts in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region’s tourism landscape.
Until recently, he served as Principal Tourism Industry Specialist in the Asian Development Bank’s Southeast Asia Department, where he led major projects to strengthen tourism competitiveness and sustainability across the Mekong.
Now living with his family in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR, Steven continues to advocate for the industry’s future.
Even as he runs Tea House Luang Prabang, a restaurant serving organic food sourced from his farm, Steven works closely with the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office, helping governments and private stakeholders collaborate on destination marketing, digital transformation for small businesses, and community-based tourism.
GMS tourism is a cause he never tires of pursuing: “Tourism fosters inclusive economic opportunities and people-to-people connections,” he explains. “I believe it is a business of peace – bringing people together and encouraging understanding between cultures.”
We spoke to Steven about how the GMS tourism sector has changed over the past two decades, the challenges it faces in becoming more sustainable, and the opportunities that lie ahead for the region.
You’ve been ADB’s tourism sector focal for the Greater Mekong Subregion for over 20 years now. How has the tourism landscape changed – for stakeholders and local communities alike – within your tenure?
The most obvious change is the sheer increase in visitors. When I started working in the Mekong region over 20 years ago, some countries hadn’t even reached one million arrivals. Before Covid, the region was seeing 60 or 70 million visitors.
There’s also been huge growth in regional tourism – GMS citizens visiting other GMS countries – which has become the top source market for many destinations. Today, most visitors you see in the GMS are from within ASEAN or neighbouring GMS countries, rather than from North America or Europe, as was common before.
Travel has also become far more convenient. Many GMS citizens no longer need visas to visit neighbouring countries. Where visas are still required, e-visas and visa on arrival make the process easy. Multi-modal forms of transportation have created tons of options to travel cross-border by train, by road, by boat, by plane.
The online travel and tourism services, travel agents, and the digitalization of tourism planning and purchasing have had a huge impact. Planning a trip is now much simpler.
Two decades ago, you had to go to a travel agent, get a paper ticket, and changing your plans was difficult. Today, digital tools let you plan, book, and pay for your trip and accommodation, and share your experiences instantly on social media. It’s been a real game changer.
Visiting the GMS is straightforward, and visiting more than one country – especially for long-haul visitors – is much easier. You don’t have to come and go from the same airport anymore. That’s a big value proposition for visitors and a strong competitive advantage for the Mekong region.
For example, a traveller can fly into a gateway airport – in Bangkok, Phnom Penh, or Hanoi – continue overland, take a train, cross a border by boat, and then fly home from a different airport. Now you can visit two or three countries in a week or so.
Image courtesy of Steven Schipani
At ADB, you were responsible for investment projects and technical assistance to improve tourism competitiveness and sustainability in several countries in Asia, including some GMS countries. What unique challenges did these countries face, and how did your work address theose challenges?
In my work at the Asian Development Bank, we addressed challenges such as destinations having either too many or too few visitors, lacking port or urban infrastructure, and having low investment in hotels, restaurants, guesthouses, and tourism services.
In destinations with heavy visitor numbers, it can be difficult to manage solid waste, wastewater, and other public services used by both residents and tourists. ADB’s projects help improve the basic public services that are essential for private sector tourism growth and investment.
One key area is infrastructure – nice roads that provide easy access to tourist destinations, or connect cities to nearby destinations.
It’s funny. I work in tourism and often friends of mine ask, “Oh, Steven, you work in the tourism industry? What are you doing? Are you building hotels and golf courses?” And actually, I say no – we’re financing wastewater treatment plants, landfills, waste management collection, all the behind-the-scenes services that are critical for the sustainability of a destination, both from a tourist’s perspective and for residents’ quality of life.
In our work, we aimed for both groups to benefit, ensuring the infrastructure and the capacity of public officials and private tourism investors were in place to manage growth sustainably.
This included investments in basic public sector infrastructure and urban services, as well as protecting cultural and natural heritage resources. Examples include management plans for UNESCO World Heritage Sites, protected area management plans, working with communities in protected areas to develop community-based ecotourism, and other forms of sustainable tourism. We also prioritized training and upskilling tourism workers.
One challenge in the GMS is that while visitor numbers are strong, spending per visitor often isn’t as high as it could be, because the quality of the services available, the variety of experiences offered, and the availability of locally made products in the tourism value chain is not at the level it could be. Our training programmes and SME support address these gaps and help make tourism more inclusive and sustainable.
You’ve managed tourism management capacity-building programs for public officials and other tourism industry stakeholders in the GMS. Can you comment on the capacity limitations faced by these stakeholders, and how your work was able to help overcome them?
At the Asian Development Bank, one important part of our work is executive learning programmes for tourism managers, protected area managers, and public officials overseeing tourism development.
I can say that one of the GMS’s strengths is that we have wonderful people in both government and the private sector, but tourism is a multi-sector activity. Success requires strong cross-sector coordination to succeed. You have to be someone who’s good at convening diverse stakeholders to agree on a common vision and goals for a destination.
Our executive learning programs are demand-driven. Our interactions with groups such as the GMS Tourism Working Group, ADB and the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office identify priority topics from government officials; we will then develop customised, one-week intensive courses. Topics have included destination planning and management, and structuring the tourism industry to maximise the supply of local goods and services.
Recently, a major focus has been digitization: how can we help micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises use this vast menu of digital tools to help their businesses grow and prosper?
On the public sector side, we train officials to design and deliver such courses, and to apply digital tools for crowd management, digitizing entry fees, and improving fee collection efficiency and transparency. We also explore how technology can be used to present heritage resources in engaging ways.
Our approach has evolved from traditional destination planning to managing the digitization process more effectively – ensuring MSMEs can benefit from digital resources while destinations use them to manage visitor flows.
Another emerging area is destination marketing. Technology moves quickly, and officials can fall behind in using digital tools to promote destinations globally. While individual businesses often manage their own marketing, there is still a strong role for national tourism organizations in promoting destinations as a whole. This is an area we’ve been supporting increasingly in recent years.
In your long career at ADB, which of your projects/initiatives in the Greater Mekong Subregion do you feel outperformed expectations, or did surprisingly well?
There have been many, and I’ll share examples from several countries.
One of my earliest projects as an ADB official was Improving Market Access for the Poor in Central Cambodia, centred around Sambor Prei Kuk in Kampong Thom Province. At the time, the site was receiving many visitors and was being nominated – it has since become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We worked with local stakeholders – farmers, craftspeople, and producers – to link their goods into tourism supply chains.
One standout product was organic cashew nuts. Kampong Thom grows excellent cashews, and Cambodia is among the world’s largest producers of organic varieties. We supported farmer cooperatives in improving quality, post-harvest processing, packaging, and marketing – both domestically and internationally. The results were transformative: hundreds of farming families gained direct access to tourism markets, while some cooperative members launched their own businesses, now exporting hundreds, even thousands, of tons annually.
These were poor, rural communities in 2012–2014, now thriving thanks to an agricultural product integrated into a tourism value chain. We typically think about tourism as transportation, accommodations, and tour companies. But if the GMS receives 60 to 70 million international visitors a year, staying for three to five days, eating three meals a day – that’s tremendous consumption. We should want local food, agricultural products, beverages, and as many locally produced goods as possible in the tourism value chain.
Image courtesy of Steven Schipani
Another achievement was the Greater Mekong Subregion Tourism Infrastructure for Inclusive Growth projects, spanning 20 destinations in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Viet Nam.
In Kep, Cambodia, we improved road infrastructure, built solid waste management systems, and upgraded wastewater treatment at the crab market. Alongside this, we trained local seafood producers in packaging and safe food handling, and added a destination marketing programme. Today, the market is thriving, with a row of successful restaurants, many owned and run by women.
In Lao PDR, we redeveloped the Nam Ngum Hydropower reservoir marina, near Vientiane. The facility was in poor condition, but the reservoir had strong tourism potential. We rehabilitated it, launched a public-private partnership for its operation, and added a local market selling fish products and handicrafts. The site is now accessible for people with disabilities, employs hundreds, and supports local boat operators and tour guides.
In Viet Nam, two sites stand out. At the Chung Pagoda in central Viet Nam, we improved road access and facilities, built a local marketplace, and supported the introduction of an electric shuttle to a cable car leading to a sacred pagoda. In Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park, we worked with the community on tourism development, which later evolved into a successful partnership with Oxalis for community-based tourism and cave exploration.
We also invested heavily in capacity building. Between the mid-2010s and 2019, we ran an annual executive learning programme with Guilin Tourism University, training nearly 200 mid-level and senior GMS officials in tourism planning and management. Many alumni have since risen to senior decision-making roles, applying good practices from the programme.
Public-private partnership training was part of the curriculum, and graduates have since applied it to ADB-financed projects, helping structure and launch tenders for tourism site operations.
Another milestone was supporting Myanmar in 2012 to prepare its Tourism Master Plan for 2012–2020. It was based on international good practices, enjoyed strong public and private sector ownership, and was actively implemented.
Finally, I’ve co-chaired 28 GMS Tourism Working Group meetings with Ms. Dee Suvimol of the Mekong Tourism Office.
Image courtesy of Salinee Chot/Unsplash
In your study on “Alternative Accommodations in Southeast Asia,” you discuss the role of non-traditional lodging in promoting inclusive tourism. What are some of the challenges and opportunities you identified for alternative accommodations in this region, and how can they contribute to sustainable tourism development?
Alternative accommodations are an interesting topic. Some cities in Europe have seen strong pushback, but in Southeast Asia and the Mekong region we haven’t seen that yet.
On the opportunity side, online short-term rentals and alternative accommodations provide a low-cost way for micro-entrepreneurs to enter the tourism economy. A spare room, apartment, or second home can now be marketed to the whole world very inexpensively using one of these online alternative accommodation platforms. Airbnb is one well-known example, but there many different online platforms available for a small entrepreneur to list their property and capture some revenue.
These accommodations can attract both new and specialised markets – from houseboats and farm stays to treehouses, condos, and villas – offering a diverse range of experiences.
These online alternative accommodation platforms are also helping destinations market themselves. In terms of low-cost entry for micro-entrepreneurs, attracting new markets, and attracting specialised markets, they’re very effective.
Image courtesy of Steven Schipani
What advice would you give to governments and stakeholders in the GMS to make their tourism sectors more resilient to global shocks like economic downturns or climate change?
The first step is to recognise that shocks will happen. No one imagined the tourism industry would be closed for more than a year during the Covid-19 pandemic. While that was hopefully a once-in-a-lifetime event, we don’t know. Climate change and the increased risk of disasters are real, existential threats to sustainable and inclusive tourism.
Tourism plans should include market diversification – balancing domestic, regional, mid-, and long-haul visitors. Don’t rely too heavily on one group. From a broader economic perspective, diversification beyond tourism is equally important; if a shock hits, a varied economy is more resilient.
Tourism has shown itself to be remarkably resilient. Before Covid, the industry bounced back from events such as the SARS epidemic, political instability, and the 2008 financial crisis. After Covid restrictions eased, domestic tourism surged, followed quickly by international recovery in most countries.
Proper planning and zoning is essential to resilience – avoiding development in disaster-prone areas – and investing in infrastructure that can withstand shocks. Equally important is strengthening the natural and human resources that underpin tourism, through upskilling and training, so they can be effective stewards of a more resilient industry.
Finally, preparation is critical – have response plans, trained personnel, and funding ready. Tourism generates both private and public revenue; some of that should be set aside for disaster preparedness and recovery. Tourists are often willing to pay environmental or other fees that support resilience. Governments shouldn’t hesitate to levy them, but must also deliver clean, green, well-managed destinations to maintain a virtuous cycle of growth and reinvestment.
What emerging trends do you see as opportunities for the GMS’s tourism sector in the next decade?
One major shift is from passive sightseeing to immersive, experiential travel – engaging with local communities, trying local food, and creating memorable moments. Destinations that can offer this will thrive.
Connectivity is another growth driver. Cross-border train networks, transnational highways, and low-cost airlines are expanding, making travel within the region easier than ever. Destinations with strong point-to-point connections tend to attract more visitors, especially regional and domestic travellers who often stay for shorter periods. Continued investment in connectivity will pay off.
Digitalisation and artificial intelligence will also shape the future. AI can improve how cultural and natural assets are presented, support better management of operations, and deliver low-cost, widely accessible training to upskill workers.
I’ve experienced this myself – I’ve been using AI to support my Chinese language learning. For tourism workers, similar tools can open up new skills and opportunities.
Social media will remain a powerful marketing channel, enabling destinations to reach global audiences and encouraging visitors to share their experiences. It offers high impact for relatively low cost, complementing – though not replacing – traditional channels like print or trade shows.
The opportunities are clear: richer visitor experiences, stronger connectivity, and smarter use of digital tools. The challenges remain – service quality, overcrowding, the need to develop secondary destinations, environmental sustainability, and climate change.
But I’m optimistic that GMS countries will continue to adapt, some moving faster than others depending on resources, and many already using what they have to make real progress.
Image courtesy of www.tourismlaos.org
What role does tourism play in promoting inclusive development and reducing inequality in the GMS?
When you look at local jobs, creating jobs for people where they live – especially when they live near a tourist attraction – I think that’s great because it gives people alternatives to migration. They don’t want to migrate if there are well-paying jobs at home in the tourism industry that people can take up.
There’s also wider, broader economic growth, and spillovers for trade – merchandise trade and other products, especially agricultural products, food, and others. Visitors cross borders and visit a country, they try the local food, the local coffee, drinks, maybe beer or something else, and then they return to their home countries and want to continue to enjoy that. Tourism is an important catalyst for merchandise trade between countries as well. I also think tourism has created renewed interest and pride in local heritage, customs, culture, and others that tourists come to enjoy.
Overall, I see this as very positive. Tourism fosters inclusive economic opportunities and people-to-people connections. I believe it is a business of peace – bringing people together and encouraging understanding between cultures. It gives people a chance to interact in ways that wouldn’t be possible without travel.
