Author: Destination Mekong

Strategic Initiatives and Government Engagement in Tourism | Virginia Messina

Bill Bensley is world renown for his outstanding, unique and inspiring award-wining hotel, landscape and interior designs and eye-catching architecture. What is not so widely known, but comes as no surprise to those that know him, is that he is a concerned conservationist and passionate philanthropist and an eco-warrior. In his own words Bill shares, “my main purpose in life, besides having as much fun as possible, is to help the needy, to education, help animals and help the planet via conservation”.

Concerned Conservationist, Passionate Philanthropist | Bill Bensley

Bensley Collection Capella Ubud Four SEasons Koh Samiu Intercontinental Danang Kohler Shinta Mani Foundation Shinta Mani Wild

Destination Mekong hosts 2021 Mekong World Tourism Day Forum on October 6-7

The Mekong World Tourism Forum, part of the two-event series of the Destination Mekong Summit, held virtually on October 21-22, will feature inspiring keynote speakers, Bangkok-based award-winning hotel designer Mr. Bill Bensley in conversation with outgoing Executivve Director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office, Mr Jens Thraenhart, and social impact innovator Mr. Jimmy Pham, founder of Hanoi based social enterprise and Experience Mekong Showcase recipient, KOTO (Know One – Teach One).

Asset H&C Discover Laos Today Doh Eain Hotel Resilient KOTO Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office MIST Sansiri Share the Wonder Triplaze Virelic World Tourism Day Yindii

See Your New Normal: A How-To Guide to Excelling in Your Post-COVID Future Using Scenario Planning

When you formulate a strategy for your organization, it’s not really crafted so you’ll be successful today, but mainly successful in the future. Logically, then, to map out an effective strategy today, it’s tomorrow’s landscape you need to visualize. But how do you know how your business landscape is going to look tomorrow?

Scenario Planning

Mekong Tourism Collaboration

Tourism in the Mekong Region is steered collaboratively by a public-private framework between the public and private sectors.

The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office, which is the secretariat of the Tourism Working Group, and Destination Mekong, which is the destination marketing organization led by private sector partners, are both managing initiatives aligned to the GMS Tourism Strategy to create a sustainable and inclusive environment to support businesses and communities in the Mekong Region and provide benefits for all stakeholders – residents, travelers, and businesses.

12Go.Asia Absolute Hotel Services Accor Hotels Almond Group Cambodia Amadeus Smart Data Travel AMan ASEAN Travel News Asian Development Bank Asian Trails Asset World Corporation Assumption University B2B Travel Bangkok Airways Bangkok River Partners Chameleon Strategies Chatrium Hotel Yangon Check-in Asia Chiva Care COVID-19 Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA) Destination Mekong Destination Mekong Summit Dusit Thani College ECPAT International eGlobal Travel Media Exo Travel Experience Mekong Collection Experience Mekong Showcase Expert Group Forwardkeys Friends International GIZ Global Gaz Global Sustainable Tourism Council Go Kunming GOCO Hospitality Good Tourism Green Discovery Laos Griffith University Guilin Tourism University Hanns Seidel Foundation Hanuman Travel Hilton Hotels Horwath HTL HotelIntel IATA IECD International College for Sustainable Studies International Trade Center (ITC) Khiri Travel Le Meridien Saigon Loikaw Lodge by the Lake Lonely Planet Made in Mekong Mahidol University Mekong Business & Travel Mekong Faces Mekong Heroes Mekong Innovations in Sustainable Tourism Mekong Institute Mekong Mini Movie Festival Mekong Moments Mekong Opportunities Mekong Rustic and Crystal Holidays JSC Mekong Stories Mekong Tourism Advisory Group Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office Mekong Tourism Forum Mekong Tourism Marketing Strategy Mekong Tourism Sector Strategy Mekong Trends Memories GRoup MeTAG Ministry of Culture and Tourism China Ministry of Hotels & Tourism Myanmar Ministry of Information and Tourism of Lao PDR Ministry of Tourism and Sports Thailand Ministry of Tourism Cambodia Minor Hotels Minor International Mira Travels Myanmar Institute for Integrated Development Myanmar Tourism Federation Odynovo Tours PATA Pear Anderson Perfect Link Consulting Professional Travel Blogger Association RDK Group Rosewood Hotels & Resorts Ross Corbett Consulting Sampan Travel Myanmar Sasin School of Business Savills Hotels SEA Shinta Mani Hotel Six Senses Co Dao Small Luxury Hotels of the World Smiling Albino South China Morning Post Swisscontact Talisman Media Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau Thailand Incentive and Convention Association The Linden Centre The SunX Program The University of New Orleans Travel Daily Media Travel News Asia Traveldailynews Asia-Pacific Triip TTG Asia TTR Weekly UNESCO United Nations World Tourism Organization Viet Kingfisher Sport Event Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Wildlife Conservation Society World Travel and Tourism Council Worldbank WWF Xpedite Capital Partners Yaana Ventures

Mekong Trends Snapshot – A Bright Future

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.

ASEAN Bangkok Airways Cambodia Angkor Air China Eastern Airlines Lao Air Low-cost carriers Lucky Air Mekong Trends Open Skies Thai Air Asia Thai Airways Thai Smile Airways Vietjet Air Vietnam Airlines

Soksabike

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.

Battambang Experience Mekong Collection Experience Mekong Showcase Kinyei Mahidol University Soksabike

Sampran Riverside

Located on a 70-acre plot along the Tha Chin River,
Sampran Riverside (formerly known as the Rose Garden)
is a family-run eco cultural destination; now famous for its
wide range of sustainable initiatives and its sustainable
business model.

Experience Mekong Collection Experience Mekong Showcase LightBlue Environmental Consulting Company Mahidol University Nakhon Pathom Organic Tourism Sampran Riverside Sookjai Project Suan Sampran Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau

The Linden Centre

Floating above the pristine rice and canola fields north of
the old town of Dali is a beautiful courtyard compound
built in 1947 by a wealthy entrepreneur from the Bai ethnic
group named Yang Pinxiang. Over seven decades, the
building, which is located in the historic Xizhou Village,
went through many changes, from being privately owned
to becoming public property after the Cultural Revolution
and land reforms, and from serving as an army barracks
and military hospital to housing a kindergarten. In 2001, it
was designated as a national heritage site. The courtyard
finely captures the exquisite architectural style of the Bai
ethnic group that predominantly lives in the area. This
compound is now a boutique hotel managed and run by
an American couple, Brian and Jeanee Linden, who have
injected new life and respect into this important heritage
site.

Dali Experience Mekong Collection Experience Mekong Showcase Mahidol University The Linden Centre The Linden Commons Xizhou Village Yunnan

Hla Day

Hla Day collaborates
with Myanmar artisans, disadvantaged groups and small
businesses to design, develop and sell handmade-
Myanmar products. Hla Day aims to capture unique
flavors of the Myanmar design by improvising traditional
skills and sourcing all the materials locally.

Experience Mekong Collection Experience Mekong Showcase Hla Day Mahidol University Yangon