Mekong basin countries target double-digit tourism growth
Five Southeast Asian countries, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam, are targeting a double-digit growth rate of international visitors annually by 2015 under the theme “Five Countries – One Destination”, according to Hoang Tuan Anh, Viet Nam’s Minister of Culture, Sport and Tourism.
In a press conference to announce the joint statement of the first Meeting of ACMECS Tourism Ministers organised yesterday (Sept 11) in HCM City, Tuan Anh, the meeting’s chairman, said the five countries aimed to attract 50 million foreign visitors and 10 intra-regional million visitors by 2015. …
He said a common visa scheme would also be carried out among the five countries of ACMECS, which stands for the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy.
The ACMECS organisation was founded in 2003 to bridge the economic gap among the countries and promote prosperity in the sub-region in a sustainable manner.
“Currently, Cambodia and Thailand have already piloted this scheme. The others, Laos, Thailand and Viet Nam, will further study and propose to their Governments in order to implement the scheme soon,” he [Tuan Anh] said.
Ministers from the five countries agreed to set up a new tourism corridor along Bagan, Chiang Mai, Luang Prabang, Vientiane, Siem Reap, Da Nang and Hue. …
Tourism growth should be viewed as a “win-win game” for the entire Lower Mekong Sub-region, speakers at an international tourism summit said yesterday in HCM City.
Top officials from five ASEAN cities, HCM City, Bangkok, Vientiane, Phnom Penh and Yangon, gathered yesterday for the second Lower Mekong Tourism Cities’ Mayors Summit 2013. …
The International Travel Expo HCM City (ITE HCM) 2013 will open today (Sept 12) in HCM City. …
This year’s ITE HCM will introduce a new message “Five Countries – One Destination” agreed upon by Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam in the spirit of the fifth ACMECS Conference organised in Vientiane, Laos in 2013.
The message is a model for connecting and promoting tourism-based development cooperation among the Mekong sub-region countries. …
VietNamNet Bridge Staff
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/travel/84268/mekong-basin-countries-target-double-digit-tourism-growth.html
