Mekong Tourism Forum to be held in Angkor 7-8 May

The Mekong Tourism Forum 2010 will take place near the world-renowned UNESCO World Heritage site of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia, 7-8 May. 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. "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. Across the Mekong region, new areas with limited or no tourism 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". Government speakers will also update the audience on visa regulations, border crossing changes, airport developments, and new policies and incentives for the tourism sector. Tourism has established itself as an economic force across the Mekong region, which still contains areas where average income is less than US$2 a day. According to the latest statistics from PATA, in 2009 Cambodia's international visitor arrivals reached 2.046 million, up 2% on 2008. Vietnam attracted 3.772 million, down 11%. Lao PDR received 862,000 visitors, down 3%. Myanmar attracted 243,000 visitors, up 26% from 2008 (when cyclone Nargis hit). Thailand received 14.1 million visitors in 2009, down 3% on the year before. 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. The Mekong Tourism Forum 2010 is open to all. Registration can be done online at www.mekongtourismforum.org. For further information email to: [email protected] or call the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office at: (+66) 2-612-4150. For editors: an image of Minister Khong Thon and the Mekong Tourism Forum 2010 logo can be downloaded: here. About the Mekong Tourism Forum The Mekong Tourism Forum provides a cooperative platform for stakeholders in the tourism industry to discuss the development, marketing and promotion of travel to, from and within the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS). It is an inclusive, interactive and results-oriented opportunity aiming to encourage public and private sector participants to work together to represent the GMS as a single destination. The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) organized the first Mekong Tourism Forum in 1996 and led it for 10 consecutive years. The hosting of this influential annual event rotated among destinations within the GMS until 2005, and in the years following private sector initiated events continued to work towards the forum's goals. The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office will revive the forum in 2010. About the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) is an intergovernmental body uniting the national tourism organizations (NTOs) of the six-nation Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS). It is tasked with fostering the sustainable development and promotion of travel within the region, and marketing the GMS as a single destination under the 'Mekong Tourism' brand. Website: www.MekongTourism.org About ASEAN Competitiveness Enhancement (ACE) ACE was designed and funded by USAID's Regional Development Mission in Asia (RDMA), which is based in Bangkok. ACE's objective is to enhance the integration and competitiveness imperatives of two of ASEAN's priority sectors: travel & tourism and textiles & apparel. The ACE Project is part of the broader ASEAN-US Enhanced Partnership which was launched in 2006, under which the United States pledged its support to ASEAN in pursuing its objective of becoming an ASEAN Community by 2015. The ACE Project is managed by Nathan Associates Inc. Website: www.ace-advance.com. About PATA The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a membership association acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of the Asia Pacific travel and tourism industry. In partnership with PATA's private and public sector members, the association enhances the sustainable growth, value and quality of travel and tourism to, from and within the region. PATA was founded in 1951 in the United States. It moved its head office to Bangkok in 1998. Website: www.PATA.org Press queries Ken Scott ScottAsia Communications Tel: (66) 81 931 2753 E-mail: [email protected]

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