New Format for Mekong Tourism Forum

Bangkok (Thailand) – May 15, 2015 – A new format and a range of special events will be part of the 2015 Mekong Tourism Forum, which takes place in Da Nang city in central Vietnam, June 15 to 19. In a new departure, the three-decade old event is now free of charge for all professionals of the tourism and travel industry.

The Mekong Tourism Forum is supported by six countries of the GMS Greater Mekong Sub-region (Cambodia, China PRC, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam), the Asia Development Bank (ADB), and the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO).

MTCO Executive Director, Jens Thraenhart, said the new look Mekong Tourism Forum represents a perfect opportunity to track progress of the GMS while exploring new ways to create sustainable tourism in a region that attracts 50 million tourists a year.

“We decided not to charge a registration fee this year to be fully inclusive. Not charging will make it easy for the industry to participate at the main symposium, a social media boot camp, a marketing workshop, and the investment summit,” said Thraenhart.

Four events in a week
During MTF 2015, the main symposium will be emceed by Peter Greenberg, award-winning author and CBS News TV Host for the Travel Channel.

The four events comprise: The Mekong Tourism Marketing Workshop, produced in collaboration with UNWTO, PATA, ATTA, GSTC, and Bangkok-based Thammasat University on Monday June 15; the Mekong Tourism Social Media Boot-Camp produced by Digital Innovation Asia on Tuesday June 16; the Mekong Tourism Investment Summit, produced in cooperation with HVS, Horwath HTL, and C9 Hotel works on Wednesday June 17; and the Mekong Tourism Symposium on Thursday June 18.

Among special events organized during the MTF will be the screening of a movie called Gringo Trails on Wednesday June 17. The film shows the unanticipated impact of tourism on cultures, economies and the environment.

The MTF will end on Friday June 19 with post-event tours to explore the Da Nang/Hoi An region as well as discovering a community-based tourism village.

Registration and a full program for the four events of MTF 2015 is available online now at www.mekongtourismforum.org.

About Mekong Tourism:
Established in early 2006, the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) is a collaborative effort between the six countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS): Cambodia, The People’s Republic of China (PRC) (Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces),The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The mission of the MTCO is to help GMS National Tourism Organizations develop and promote the Mekong as a single travel destination, offering a diversity of good quality and high-yielding sub-regional products that help to distribute the benefits of tourism more widely; add to the tourism development efforts of each GMS destination; contribute to poverty reduction, gender equality and empowerment of women; and minimize any adverse impacts of tourism through the development of a sustainable industry. For more information, please visit www.MekongTourism.org.

Contact:
Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office
Mr. Kris Dhiradityakul
MTCO Operations Manager
Bangkok,Thailand
Tel: +66 2612 4150-1
Email: kris@mekongtourism.org