The Elephant Valley Project (EVP), the original elephant sanctuary in Cambodia, is dedicated to rescuing captive elephants and supporting conservation work protecting wild elephants. Visitors get an opportunity to observe elephants in their natural habitat and learn more about the conservation in the local area.
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Simply put, what doesn’t excite me about the region? Since my first visit 20 years ago, the sites, smells, colors, energy … the markets, the people, the foods, and the spiritual have captured my attention. That largely remains the same. It’s exciting to be part of preserving all that Mekong specialness for others, too.
For the last dozen years, I have lived and devoted myself to sustainable hospitality and tourism in Vietnam and the Mekong region. I have been an international hotel and gaming consultant, a restaurant owner and operator, and lectured widely at top US universities and culinary schools.
I established and ran STREETS International, an ambitious social enterprise providing vocational hospitality and culinary training to poor, marginalized, orphaned, and trafficked youth from Vietnam and Cambodia. The STREETS residential program included two authentic Vietnamese eateries based in Hoi An, Vietnam. Pre-pandemic, we served approximately 15,000 guests per year. We have over 350 graduates at the best hotels and resorts throughout the region.
I have been a speaker and award recipient from Destination Mekong a number of times. I know its importance and also the potential.
I want to continue to build on the impact Destination Mekong has already made. I want to be part of realizing the possibilities beyond a conventional RMO (regional marketing organization) to being a bona fide leading tourism organization that stands for responsible, sustainable tourism and travel. There are development threats but also opportunities to collaborate with local communities.
The opportunity is to strongly differentiate Destination Mekong as a model of impact, marrying sustainable tourism and sound economic development. The slow travel movement is sustainable tourism at its best and it fits the terrain of the countries in our region perfectly. I want to see this movement gain momentum.
The concentration of successful travel-related social enterprises in our region is unique worldwide. It’s a platform that we should celebrate. I want to be impactful by supporting social entrepreneurs to market and expand sustainable tourism social enterprises. Most importantly, as a Special Advisor to Destination Mekong, I want to do everything I can utilizing sustainable and best tourism business practices to return our region to the robust pre-pandemic environment and beyond.
Shinobu Hayama Special Advisor (Japan-Mekong Cooperation) Linkedin-in What excites you about the Mekong Region? Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand have gifted me some of the most transformative journeys since my university years. Each destination has…
Gavin Bell Chief Development Officer Linkedin-in What excites you about the Mekong Region? After working in many other regions, coming to Cambodia in 2018 with a few weeks’ notice was my first time in…
Daisy Park 박재아 Special Advisor (Korea-Mekong Cooperation) Linkedin-in What excites you about the Mekong Region? “Diversity a Key for unlocking sustainability” is my faith in work. The GMS is the most accessible region from…
Neal Bermas Special Advisor (Social Enterprise) Linkedin-in External-link-alt What excites you about the Mekong Region? Simply put, what doesn’t excite me about the region? Since my first visit 20 years ago, the sites, smells,…
As ASEAN pursues greater regional integration and the development
of a single economic community, advancements in the region’s
aviation industry are essential to boost economic connectivity and
tourism. Half the world’s population live within five hours of ASEAN,
making it a natural transportation hub for visiting the region’s sunny
beaches, accessing growing economic opportunities.
As ASEAN pursues greater regional integration and the development
of a single economic community, advancements in the region’s
aviation industry are essential to boost economic connectivity and
tourism. Half the world’s population live within five hours of ASEAN,
making it a natural transportation hub for visiting the region’s sunny
beaches, accessing growing economic opportunities.
21 June 2022, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Destination Mekong held its first Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 3 June 2022, together with the election of its new Executive Board Members.
Destination Mekong (DM) held its first Annual General Meeting since its incorporation as a full-fledged company in January this year. The AGM took place virtually and was attended by DM full members and guests.
Ms. Catherine Germier-Hamel, CEO of Destination Mekong, introduced DM’s purpose, goals, and structure to the audience, stressing the importance of providing an inclusive framework that enables all kinds of members to participate actively. She also presented recent partnerships between Destination Mekong and other organizations sharing the same values, such as the South-Pacific Tourism Organisation, the Seoul Tourism Organization, and Planeterra, as well as its membership in the Small Islands Developing States Tourism Organizations (SIDS). Mr. Gerrit Kruger, Chief Marketing Officer of Destination Mekong, presented its Charter, which the members adopted without objection.
The 15 candidates for the new Executive Board of Directors were then given the opportunity to introduce themselves before processing the election through an online system. By the DM Charter, full members (Destination Mekong Changemakers) were invited to rank the candidates by order of preference.
As a result, the eight following people are now officially sitting on the new Executive Board:
As a result, the eight following people are now officially sitting on the new Executive Board:
Ms. Duangmala Phommavong, Co-Founder and Partner | EXO Travel Lao
Mr. Fréderic Tambon, Founder & CEO | Society and Fred, Expert in international marketing, tourism industry, and education
Mr. Guido Neil, Director Special Operations | 12Go
Mr. Mark Bibby Jackson, Founder | Travel Begins at 40
Ms. Melita Koulmandas, CEO/Founder | Song Saa Collective
Mr. Nguyen Tuan Linh, Owner | Mr. Linh’s Adventures Travel Company Limited
Dr. Sasithara Pichaichannarong, Rector | College of Tourism, Hospitality, and Sports, Rangsit University, Thailand | RSU Vista Golf Course
Ms. Sophea Sok, Regional Program Manager, Asia-Pacific | Planeterra Foundation
Additionally, Board Members representing the most significant financial contributors to Destination Mekong are:
For Small Luxury Hotels of The World: Mr. Mark Wong, Senior Vice President Asia Pacific
For the World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Mr. Jedsada Taweekan, Regional Illegal Wildlife Trade Program Manager for WWF-Greater Mekong
For Enwoke: Prof. Hailin Zhang, Professor at Guilin Tourism University
For Chameleon Strategies: Mr. Gerrit Kruger, Managing Director
For Sasin School of Management: Dr. Ian Fenwick, Director
Finally, ex-officio Board Members are:
Mr. Willem Niemeijer, outgoing Chairman of the Interim Board of Destination Mekong and CEO of Yanna Ventures;
Ms. Catherine Germier-Hamel, CEO of Destination Mekong;
Dr. Jens Thraenhart, Founder of Destination Mekong.
After completing the elections, several upcoming initiatives and projects were presented, such as publications by the Destination Mekong Working Group on Academia and Education. It was also announced that Destination Mekong would prioritize the execution of the new Mekong Tourism Recovery Communications Plan, starting with the release of the much-expected Mekong Stories book in June.
To become a Destination Mekong Changemaker, please go to:
https://www.destinationmekong.com/membership/ or contact us.
-ENDS
Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand have gifted me some of the most transformative journeys since my university years. Each destination has moved me in their unique ways, the warm and resilient people, the depth of their stories, the vibrant species, mountains and rivers they flow with. I carry gratitude for being welcomed into their communities, over heartfelt homemade meals in their slum to scrubbing elephants in their sanctuary. The region was also my door to sustainable tourism on a global standard through the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Conference held in Chiang Mai, now a GSTC Trainer. The region continues to inspire me around the power of travel, as a way to connect, contribute and collaborate beyond us and them. This hope is what excites me the most.
As the Mekong and other parts of the world taught me the power of travel, the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan made this tangible even more. People flew in across borders to combine efforts, where I saw that the more diverse people collaborate, the more solutions for a sustainable region. Since then, with sustainable development and humanity as a purpose, I have been dedicated to facilitating this through consulting, designing travel to capacity-building for people across cultures and sectors. I founded Journey for Change Co., Ltd. in 2019 to offer consultation and human resource development around sustainable travel and education, integrating approaches of sustainable tourism, social innovation, and change. With a vision to further behavioral to the systematic transformation towards a positive balance of society, environment, and economy, works include supporting destinations and businesses such as world heritage sites, Japan’s national airline and stakeholders, and academia including a partnership with a graduate school bridging multidisciplinary science.
I believe the Mekong Region and Japan carry diverse similarities and differences in their environment, society, economy, and their people. This also means a vast opportunity to learn from each other, transform and redefine together a healthy balance. Issues of another country are not just theirs, our nature and neighborhoods are intertwined, and I believe the Mekong River is a breathing symbol of this. I am motivated to explore and discover lasting cooperation through movements of people, knowledge, and practices amongst the countries, one step each towards a collective impact.
19 May 2022, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Destination Mekong has launched its campaign to elect its first Executive Board as part of its journey toward building a unified and resilient tourism industry in the Greater Mekong Subregion.
Since the incorporation of Destination Mekong as a full-fledged company in January 2022, its Executive Team has worked hard on consolidating the organization, driving membership, building partnerships, and exploring funding opportunities.
As a continuation, Destination Mekong has now launched the campaign to elect its new Executive Board during its first Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 03 June 2022. The AGM will be held in a hybrid format and open to members, representatives of partners, and non-members. It will include the confirmation of the DM Charter and the election of a new Executive Board by voting members (Changemakers), with eight seats available in the first year.
The list of candidates for the Executive Board is composed of 16 professionals with impressive backgrounds in travel, tourism, and hospitality in Asia, highly committed to sustainable development and local community empowerment in the Mekong region:
Ms. Duangmala Phommavong, Co-Founder and Partner | EXO Travel Lao
Mr. Fréderic Tambon, Founder/CEO | Society and Fred, Expert in international marketing, tourism industry, and education
Mr. Guido Neil, Director Special Operations | 12Go
Mr. Hailin Zhang, Professor at Guilin Tourism University
Mr. Jacques Guichandut, Managing Director | All Dreams Cambodia Co. Ltd.
Mr. Jean Claude Dhuez, Owner | Sâmata
Mr. Mark Bibby Jackson, Founder | Travel Begins at 40
Ms. Melita Koulmandas, CEO/Founder | Song Saa Collective
Mr. Miquel Angel Perez Martorell, Founder | MQL Sustainable Tourism Services
Dr. Neal F. Bermas, Founder | STREETS International
Mr. Nguyen Tuan Linh, Owner | Mr. Linh’s Adventures Travel Company Limited
Mr. Nick Ray, Principal at Hanuman Films. Lonely Planet Writer for Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Tourism Consultant with the World Bank
Dr. Sasithara Pichaichannarong, Rector | College of Tourism, Hospitality, and Sports; Chairperson | RSU Vista Golf Course, Thailand
Mr. Sean Too, Chief Eco Consultant | Sentinel Solution Thailand Co Ltd
Ms. Sophea Sok, Regional Program Manager, Asia-Pacific | Planeterra Foundation
Dr. Soriya Yin, Associate Professor, Environmental Science | American University of Phnom Penh
The profiles of candidates can be consulted here: https://www.destinationmekong.com/executive-board-election.
Besides the elected members, the DM Executive Board will also include Dr. Jens Thraenhart, as the founder of Destination Mekong, Mr. Willem Niemeijer, in his role as past Chair of the Interim Board of Directors, and representatives of the largest private-sector supporters of Destination Mekong, including a permanent seat for its founding contributor UNWTO Affiliate Member Chameleon Strategies.
Catherine Germier-Hamel, CEO of Destination Mekong, stressed that “these are challenging yet exciting times for Destination Mekong and its growing community of members, partners, and supporters. To create impact and value for all, we will not only need coordination, cooperation, and innovation but also motivation, dedication, and compassion. The candidates to our Executive Board all have these qualities, together with being true changemakers and role models”.
Dr. Jens Thraenhart, Founder of Destination Mekong and former Executive Director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO), praised the list of candidates and stressed that “the new DM Executive Board will contribute to the success of the mission of Destination Mekong and its innovative strategies, models and operations. One of the reasons for establishing Destination Mekong was to foster a strong and balanced public-private-partnership framework to boost tourism recovery and resilience in the GMS aligned to the Tourism Strategy”.
Willem Niemeijer, Chairman of the interim board and CEO of Yaana Ventures, and Michael Marshall, Vice-Chair of the Interim Board and CCO of Minor Hotels, commented on the high quality of the list and are looking forward to handing over their board positions to the new members.
Up to one day before the elections, 2 June 2022, all professionals active in the Greater Mekong Subregion and interested in being part of building a sustainable, inclusive, and united regional tourism destination can become Changemakers (Full voting Members) at a special launch rate.
To become a Destination Mekong Member, please go to:
https://www.destinationmekong.com/membership/
Besides its existing initiatives, Destination Mekong will prioritize the execution of the new Mekong Tourism Recovery Communications Plan, starting with the release of the much-expected Mekong Stories book in June.
-ENDS
As a social business, Soksabike aims to provide tourists with the chance to experience the authentic
Cambodia and to promote a direct tourist spending to the local entrepreneurs.
“Diversity a Key for unlocking sustainability” is my faith in work. The GMS is the most accessible region from Korea, and its level of diversity is above our imagination.
Most Koreans have had little opportunity to experience the true beauty and access the genuine value of the Mekong region, its many authentic experiences provided by small sustainable businesses and local communities. As a pioneer in sustainable travel and explorer of these treasures, I would like to showcase my findings to travelers, entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and more, to build strong cooperations between Korea and the tourism industry in the Mekong region.
I have more than 20 years of experience representing National Tourism organizations of diverse countries, especially island nations. Prioritizing promoting sustainable tourism, I have helped destinations connect to the Korean market.
As an avid traveler, I believe in minimizing the economic leakage destinations experience by staying at local-owned hotels, eating at local restaurants, and finding local tour operators. I have worked closely with local-owned facilities to connect them to the Korean market.
I want to contribute to creating opportunities for communities in the Mekong region by developing stories, attractions, itineraries of hidden destinations, where travelers can experience the cultures, histories, and natural beauties of the Mekong countries. My focus will be on creating impact and preventing economic leakage by enabling inclusive investments and partnerships to build local economies and ensure benefits stay in the communities. I want to encourage all stakeholders in the tourism industry to join me in creating value through partnerships.
Martin Mouchenik Project Manager Linkedin-in What excites you about the Mekong Region? The Mekong region holds a special place for me, I had the opportunity
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Georg Arlt Special Advisor (China Outbound) Linkedin-in External-link-alt What excites you about the Mekong Region? I have been connected for almost 50
Jens Thraenhart Founder Linkedin-in “As the role of Destination Marketing and Management Organizations evolves, so must its business model. The public and private sectors must
Gavin Bell Chief Development Officer Linkedin-in What excites you about the Mekong Region? After working in many other regions, coming to Cambodia in 2018 with
As ASEAN pursues greater regional integration and the development
of a single economic community, advancements in the region’s
aviation industry are essential to boost economic connectivity and
tourism. Half the world’s population live within five hours of ASEAN,
making it a natural transportation hub for visiting the region’s sunny
beaches, accessing growing economic opportunities.
