3rd ACMECS Summit a platform for tightening tourism cooperation
Tourism ministers from Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar gathered together at the opening ceremony of the third Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) and the fourth Cambodia – Laos – Myanmar – Vietnam (CLMV) Tourism Ministers’ Summits in Ho Chi Minh City on September 7.
Held within the framework of the ongoing International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC), the events were also attended by leaders of cities in the Mekong Sub-region.
Ministers agreed to cooperate more fully on responsible tourism, tourism marketing activities, and the creation of more diverse tourism products.
They acknowledged that ACMECS tourism cooperation in the “Five Countries – One Destination” program has been useful, as it “brands the unique characteristics of the region.” They urged the private sector to become more deeply involved in public-private partnerships and said that new internet-based applications for information exchange and marketing should be used more frequently.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien said that tourism cooperation among five countries, including the CLMV and Thailand, has helped to advertise tourist attractions in the region and establish travel routes linking those tourist sites.
The ACMECS joint statement on tourism cooperation has also motivated the five countries’ national tourist offices to intensify their cooperation and support each other in tourism promotion activities at international tourism fairs and festivals.
He hoped that through the meetings, the participating tourism ministers would put forward more effective and practical solutions to perfect regional tourism cooperation through the two mechanisms.
Over the past decade, via bilateral cooperation, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand have helped promote the “Five Countries – One Destination” brand, improving tourist infrastructure while safeguarding and promoting national cultural values.
In 2016, the five countries together welcomed 54.75 million international visitors, up 5.29 per cent against 2015. The number of intra-region tourists amounted to 8.95 million, equivalent to 16.35 per cent of the total, a year-on-year increase of 5.04 per cent compared to 2015.
Many activities have been held to develop specific tour programs, including the first East-West Corridor Tourism Cooperation Meeting and the first and second Meeting of the Southern Coastal Corridor, with technical tours in all provinces in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam along the corridor.
The Plan of Action on tourism cooperation from 2016 to 2018 will continue to emphasize connections among routes and corridors as well as marketing activities and sustainable tourism.
Source: vneconomictimes
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