Mekong countries lifting travel restrictions, welcoming international visitors again

As the pandemic recedes and international travel begins to open up, most countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) are welcoming visitors again. 

The Government of Viet Nam is now preparing for the relaunch of the Mekong Tourism Forum in Hoi An, Viet Nam from October 9 to 14 this year, aiming to fully revive tourism in the region and to commemorate Visit Vietnam Year 2022. 

Since 2010, the MTF has provided a cooperative platform for tourism industry stakeholders to discuss GMS travel concerns, and monitor sustainable and responsible tourism growth. 

On this occasion, the historic central Viet Nam town of Hoi An will welcome over 250 international delegates from the world’s top hotels, national tourism agencies, tourism businesses, and tourism bodies—our global partners coming together to show the world that tourism along the Mekong remains alive and well.

About the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office 

The iconic Mekong River unites the six nations that make up the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). 

The governments of Cambodia, Yunnan and Guangxi provinces in China (PRC), Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam established the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) in 2006 as a tourism collaboration framework to coordinate activities that boost tourism's contribution to inclusive economic growth and environmental sustainability in the GMS. 

MTCO’s work is guided by the GMS Tourism Working Group (TWG), which is made of senior representatives of the National Tourism Organizations (NTOs) of the six member countries.