Tourism co-operation to allow Mekong countries to satisfy tourists

A new cooperation mechanism increasing connectivity among tourism destinations would allow countries in Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) to diversify their tourism products and satisfy tourists’ growing demand and increasingly diverse tastes.

The mechanism is one of the suggestions put forward at the Mekong Tourism Forum 2015 within the GMS cooperation framework which was held in Da Nang city on June 15-18.

The GMS, comprises Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and China’s Yunnan and Guangxi provinces, has been deemed full of tourism potential given the cultural and natural richness with dozens of natural heritages recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

According to Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Khanh Hai, tourism has become an increasingly important economic sector in Vietnam in recent years.

With the ease of transport communications between Vietnam and other countries in the region, Vietnam attaches importance to tourism cooperation with nations in the GMS.

With the close cooperation among national tourism agencies, assistance from international organisations and active participation of enterprises and relevant parties, the GMS is becoming an appealing region for investors and a dynamic tourism market, Hai said.

Fierce competition still persists, Hai said, urging countries to responsibly contribute to the region’s tourism development and join forces to develop high-quality products to compete with other regions in the world.