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 Subregion (GMS). It presents an inclusive, interactive and results-oriented opportunity to encourage public and private sector participation in representing the GMS as a single destination.
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. In subsequent years private sector initiated events around the region continued to work towards the forum’s goals. The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) is revived the forum in 2010 taking place in Siem Reap, Cambodia, 7-8 May 2010 with the theme of “New Roads, New Opportunities”. Follow by MTF2011 “Destination Mekong: The Making of a Star” in Pakse, Laos, 27 – 28 May 2011.
MTF2012 will be in Chiang Rai, Thailand, 13-14 June 2012 with the them of “20/20 Vision: Building on Two Decades of GMS Cooperation”.
Six Nations, Three Common Goals
The Mekong Tourism Forum works to achieve three main objectives:
- To raise the profile of the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) as a single tourist destination
- To provide an industry-wide platform for the public and private sectors to address sub-regional tourism issues
- To expand marketing networks and opportunities for promoting the GMS and its stakeholders, pool collective resources and create intra-industry synergy.
