Tourism Indochina: Mekong tourism officials outline future orientation

Tourism Indochina: Mekong tourism officials outline future orientation

(Tourism Indochina:Date : 2009-01-13:)

The 2 nd meeting of Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) tourism ministers on Jan. 9 passed a joint declaration concerning recent progress in cooperation between the region’s tourism authorities and orientation for future development.

The GMS tourism ministers’ meeting took place within the framework of the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) currently taking place in Hanoi.

GMS consists of Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

The joint declaration said that GMS’s tourism sector is continuing to grow and is standing firm against the fallout from the global financial crisis. Meanwhile, a new website for tourism promotion activities is to be launched soon, which will also act as a forum to effectively implement the Mekong tourism promotion strategy, which was adopted in 2005.

The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) has successfully organised three recent seminars aimed at accelerating the implementation of preferential projects under the tourism development plan, and preparing in-depth proposals to present at the upcoming conference of development partners later this year.

GMS tourism ministers praised the MTCO Executive Director’s efforts to speed up the programme regarding tourism development and marketing and improve coordination in the implementation of the tourism strategy.

The ministers also made a special note of the assistance received from the French government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in enhancing the MTCO’s financial and technical capacities, and spoke highly of Thailand’s initiative in launching the Mekong Tourism Year 2009-2010.

Regarding their orientation for the future, the six GMS countries’ tourism ministers affirmed that they would make full use of the sub-region’s infrastructure and improve and expand their coordination to promote the development of sustainable tourism in a socially responsible manner. The six nations vowed to continue to pool their resources in order to establish GMS as a common destination in the context of the global economic recession.

The six ministers requested that the Tourism Working Group and MTCO exploit all available resources and hoped that the upcoming conference of development partners later this year would be successful in expanding their mutually-beneficial partnership.

MGS expects to welcome 53 million foreign visitors by 2015, generating new jobs for more than 4.2 million workers


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Explore The northeastern River Life in Cambodia, The Mekong Discovery Trail

It would not be at the end of traveling in Cambodia if you miss to explore Mekong Discovery Trial and experience the northeastern life of Cambodia where diverse natural beauty and warm-hearting greetings of the people create a remembrance experience. Mekong discovery trial will bring to explore the river life adventure along an extensive Mekong in Kratie and Stung Treng Province of Kingdom of Wonder.

The Mekong Discovery Trail is a join project between the Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia, SNV Netherlands Development Organization and the UNWTO and it aims to foster sustainable forms of tourism to reduce poverty in the region and to conserve the Mekong River Dolphin.

The Mekong Discovery Trail is a network of safe, ecotourism journeys through some of the most natural and least populated parts of the Mekong in Cambodia in Kratie and Stung Treng Provinces.

The Mekong Discovery Trail takes you into the heart of the Mekong where the beauty of the river and the friendliness of the people create unforgettable river life experiences in northeast Cambodia.

Along the trail, you will have the opportunity to see critically endangered Mekong River Dolphins, while minimising your impact on them and the habitats they rely on. The trail offers many kinds of local experiences including traveling by local horse carts, staying overnight at homestay to experiences local life, participating in tree planting to contribute to environmental protection, and exploring local culture through traditional shadow puppet shows. With over 200kms of cycle tracks, river boat journeys and some of the Cambodias finest cuisine to savor, you can enjoy all these activities, on some of the best river beaches and under truly extraordinary sunsets.

Mekong discovery trail aims to mitigate and promote dolphin conservation through sustainable tourism and to diversify tourism product in response to an increasing demand for ecotourism. A wide range of touristic activities can be enjoyed along the trail such as Mekong River Dolphin Viewing, horse cart, mountain biking, house boating, local product, fishing, camping, and forest trekking which are the foremost interested activities for the ecotourism visitors, nature lovers and nature-based visitors.

Along the Mekong trial local people can provide you diversified experiences with their local product and their hospitality mood. Also, you have chance to see a critical endangered Mekong River Dolphin whist optimize impact on the environment they depend on. By using this trail and allow yourself to economically contribute to the local people will help the river communities with the positive change of local livelihood.

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Mountain cycling along the Mekong Trail

The Mekong Discovery Trail is a joint project between Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism, the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and SNV. The project has two overarching objectives for alleviating poverty and promoting conservation through appropriate and sustainable tourism development along the mighty Mekong River in Kratie and Stung Treng. By August 2008, the Mekong Discovery Trail website was launched and announced locally and internationally to 300 tourism related stakeholders: tour companies (190), media (25), NGOs (35), hotel and boutique guesthouses in Phnom Penh (15), as well as SNV regional offices and government institutions. The Mekong Discovery Trail highlights the river life adventure in Northeast Cambodia along the Mekong River in Kratie and Stung Treng provinces. Its website incorporates lots of interesting news, maps of the trails with detailed information, and available tourism activities along the trail such as Mekong River Dolphin viewing, horse cart riding, mountain biking, forest trekking, and house boating. Information about local products, home-stay and other ecotourism and nature-based activities is also provided. Getting involved in these activities can improve community well-being as well as local community development since all the services and products are provided by local communities and local suppliers. SNV, UNWTO and Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism have a strong commitment to develop the Mekong Discovery Trail into a national tourism asset and a unique selling point of Cambodia alongside Angkor Wat, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville.



Mountain cycling along the Mekong Trail:



Are you eco-traveler and want a friendly travel? If so, then try a carbon free travel experience along the Mekong Discovery Trail. Without harming the environment and gaining green house gas to the atmosphere, you can ride the mountain bike to see a magnificent landscape of the Mekong River. Along the way, you will immerse remote local livelihood lifestyle and also help improve their livelihood.

The unique experience and specialty of the mountain bike trail is that you will drive yourself through one of the Mekong Biodiversity Hot Spots where local people and non-government organization pay much attention on biological richness preservation. When you are on Mountain bike trail, be alerted to bring plenty of water (difficult to find at remote village), spare parts, first aid kid and sun protection lotion.

This mountain bike trail along Mekong Discovery Trail can be done at Kratie or Steung Treng Province. The mountain bike can be rented or purchased in Phnom Penh. Find the one that suit you and go on with a carbon-free travel experience that serves the environment and help improve remote livelihood where you reach.

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Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/
More about Cambodia Rice Exporter, please visit: http://www.cambodiaorganic.com/

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Mountain cycling along the Mekong Trail: a Carbon Free Travel Experience

Are you eco-traveler and want a friendly travel? If so, then try a carbon free travel experience along the Mekong Discovery Trail. Without harming the environment and gaining green house gas to the atmosphere, you can ride the mountain bike to see a magnificent landscape of the Mekong River. Along the way, you will immerse remote local livelihood lifestyle and also help improve their livelihood.

The unique experience and specialty of the mountain bike trail is that you will drive yourself through one of the Mekong Biodiversity Hot Spots where local people and non-government organization pay much attention on biological richness preservation. When you are on Mountain bike trail, be alerted to bring plenty of water (difficult to find at remote village), spare parts, first aid kid and sun protection lotion.

This mountain bike trail along Mekong Discovery Trail can be done at Kratie or Steung Treng Province. The mountain bike can be rented or purchased in Phnom Penh. Find the one that suit you and go on with a carbon-free travel experience that serves the environment and help improve remote livelihood where you reach.

Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/
More about Cambodia Rice Exporter, please visit: http://www.cambodiaorganic.com/

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Mekong tourism officials outline future orientation

The 2 nd meeting of Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) tourism ministers on Jan. 9 passed a joint declaration concerning recent progress in cooperation between the region’s tourism authorities and orientation for future development.

The GMS tourism ministers’ meeting took place within the framework of the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) currently taking place in Hanoi.

GMS consists of Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

The joint declaration said that GMS’s tourism sector is continuing to grow and is standing firm against the fallout from the global financial crisis. Meanwhile, a new website for tourism promotion activities is to be launched soon, which will also act as a forum to effectively implement the Mekong tourism promotion strategy, which was adopted in 2005.

The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) has successfully organised three recent seminars aimed at accelerating the implementation of preferential projects under the tourism development plan, and preparing in-depth proposals to present at the upcoming conference of development partners later this year.

GMS tourism ministers praised the MTCO Executive Director’s efforts to speed up the programme regarding tourism development and marketing and improve coordination in the implementation of the tourism strategy.

The ministers also made a special note of the assistance received from the French government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in enhancing the MTCO’s financial and technical capacities, and spoke highly of Thailand’s initiative in launching the Mekong Tourism Year 2009-2010.

Regarding their orientation for the future, the six GMS countries’ tourism ministers affirmed that they would make full use of the sub-region’s infrastructure and improve and expand their coordination to promote the development of sustainable tourism in a socially responsible manner. The six nations vowed to continue to pool their resources in order to establish GMS as a common destination in the context of the global economic recession.

The six ministers requested that the Tourism Working Group and MTCO exploit all available resources and hoped that the upcoming conference of development partners later this year would be successful in expanding their mutually-beneficial partnership.

MGS expects to welcome 53 million foreign visitors by 2015, generating new jobs for more than 4.2 million workers

Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/
More about Cambodia Rice Exporter, please visit: http://www.cambodiaorganic.com/

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Mekong Tourism Forum Set for Siem Reap, May 7 and 8

This year's Mekong Tourism Forum will be held on May 7-8 the Angkor Century Resort and Spa, near to Angkor Wat the awe-inspiring Cambodian UNESCO Heritage Site.

The Mekong Tourism Forum provides a cooperative platform for stakeholders in the tourism industry to discuss development, marketing and promotion of travel to, from and within the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). It presents an inclusive, interactive and results-oriented opportunity to encourage public and private sector participation in representing the GMS as a single destination.

"We are looking forward to hosting this influential networking gathering," said Dr Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism for Cambodia. "It will mark the progress of a pivotal business and travel industry forum initiated by the Asian Development Bank 14 years ago," he said.

The theme of the Mekong Tourism Forum 2010 is, "New Roads, New Opportunities". Business and government sector leaders will assess the latest tourism developments and investment opportunities along the regional road networks linking Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the southern China provinces of Yunnan and Guangxi.

Across the Mekong region, new areas with previously minor or no tourism infrastructure are now opening up along three main corridors: the southern coastal road from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam via Cambodia; the central east-west route linking Northeast Thailand to southern Laos and Hue in central Vietnam; and the north-south Kunming-Bangkok road through northern Laos.

"Today villages and towns along the way are benefiting from the arrival of tourists where there were none before," said Mason Florence, Executive Director of the Bangkok-based Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office. "At the Mekong Tourism Forum we will discuss investment prospects and hear from tourism operators who are already taking advantage of opportunities along the new overland corridors."

During the forum at the Angkor Century Resort & Spa, panel discussions will be held on "Pioneering Mekong Tourism Products," "The Path to Community-based Tourism," "How Sustainable Tourism Can Drive Profit" and "The Road Ahead".

The Mekong Tourism Forum works to achieve three main objectives:

• To raise the profile of the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) as a single tourist destination.

• To provide an industry-wide platform for the public and private sectors to address sub-regional tourism issues.

• To expand marketing networks and opportunities for promoting the GMS and its stakeholders, pool collective resources and create intra-industry synergy.

To help attract small and medium-sized tourism entrepreneurs and a diverse range of travel professionals, the MTCO, in conjunction with Cambodia's Ministry of Tourism, has reduced the cost of attending the Mekong Tourism Forum 2010 to a nominal US$50 for the two-day event and US$30 for members of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). The registration fee includes access to all forum sessions, including two lunches and two dinners.

Financial support for MTF 2010 is being provided by the Ministry of Tourism, Cambodia, the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office and the USAID-funded ASEAN Competitiveness Enhancement project. Other travel industry partners are providing support in-kind.

Source ETB

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