On June 8, 2021, Destination Mekong organized the first Destination Mekong Interim Board Meeting to update and discuss the establishment of Destination Mekong, organization structure, and development of programs.
Minutes of the meeting can be downloaded here
The chefs and volunteers from several culinary-related associations, restaurants and hotels came together recently to do their bit to help needy families and people severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Headed by Master Chef Luu Meng, the CEO and Founder of Almond Hospitality, they also distributed food to volunteer doctors and health offices at Covid-19 vaccination centres, construction workers and road sweepers around the Sisowath Quay and palace areas.
The two-day charity activity carried out on Friday and Monday was in appreciation of their dedication to go about their duties during this pandemic.
It involved two-day cooking of food which was packed in 410 boxes consisting of 500grammes each of Cambodian all-time favourite dish “Prahoc Ktis” (fermented fish, minced pork, pea eggplants and coconut milk with help from local NGO, Mudhita Foundation for distribution.Each box can feed up to eight people.
On Friday, the Academy of Culinary Arts Cambodia (ACAC) gave 300 boxes of cooked food while Sevensea Seafood Restaurant provided 110 boxes on Monday. To top it off, a donation of cartons of Ogeu still mineral water from the Pyrenees, France was given with the gourmet meal.
Princess Norodom Arunrasmy, the founder of Mudhita Foundation, also participated in the cooking and preparation of the food boxes with the chefs on Friday at ACAC.
“We can’t help everyone, but we hope that with the cooking of this popular Khmer dish by our chefs and volunteers, infused with their love and kindness, we can together make a difference and bring some cheer to their lives,” said Meng who is the president of the Cambodian Tourism Federation.
The people and associations who made the charity event a reality were Disciple Escoffier Cambodia Association, Cambodia Chefs Society, ACAC, Cambodia Restaurants Association, Cambodia Chaîne des Rôtisseurs members, Sun and Moon Hotel, World Dining Restaurant, Malis Restaurant, Uy Kuyteav Restaurant, Preah Srey of Anvarman Museum and Ogeu Groupe – Ogeu Eaux Minérales.
Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50866529/food-charity-drive-with-chefs-and-gastronomy-members/
By installing an app named Du Lịch Việt Nam An Toàn (A Safe Trip in Việt Nam), visitors can provide feedback on issues in tourism services including those related to fake and poor quality products, fraud, price pressure, improper advertising and food safety.
The information will be collected, verified and handled by the Việt Nam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) in coordination with the Việt Nam Directorate of Market Surveillance (VNDMS) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
The VNAT and VNDMS earlier signed a co-operation agreement to boost and promote the application of digital technology in tourism services, ensuring the interests of tourists and with a focus on strengthening coordination in receiving and processing feedback from tourists through the app Du Lịch Việt Nam An Toàn.
Accordingly, the app is linked to the professional information system of the VNDMS, allowing the two parties to easily exchange information, coordinate in receiving and dealing with tourists’ feedback ensuring the protection of their rights.
VNDMS will quickly receive the information and solve problems related to fake goods, poor quality goods, fraud, price pressure, improper advertising and food safety, thus contributing to promoting a healthy tourism market and improving service quality and the tourism reputation of the country.
A representative from the VNDMS said this was the first time the tourism and market management sectors signed a coordination regulation to strengthen State management, rectify acts of trade fraud, and protect tourists’ rights ensuring a healthy tourism business environment in Việt Nam.
The event has marked a new step in the model of cooperation between the two units based on the exploitation of modern digital technology, according to the official.
The app Du Lịch Việt Nam An Toàn will help connect tourists, service providers and state management agencies, the official said.
This new co-operation model promises to create a breakthrough to meet the requirements of tourism and help the industry develop more sustainably, the official added.
The app Du Lịch Việt Nam An Toàn was launched last year to provide a useful tool for tourists in Việt Nam. It is expected to improve tourists’ experience while travelling in the country.
The app is easy to find and on both Android and iOS with the image of a lotus, a symbol of Vietnamese tourism.
Tourists can use Vietnamese or English to find information on destinations in the country, estimate the safety level and how the pandemic is controlled in the places they are about to go and find suitable services.
COVID-19 has changed demand and the way people travel, so many people prioritise safety instead of competitive prices as they did before, according to Nguyễn Lê Phúc, vice chairman of the VNAT.
Read more: https://vietnamnews.vn/life-style/938505/system-kicked-off-to-receive-feedback-in-tourism.html
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION
BANGKOK, 28 APRIL 2021
SUNx Malta in partnership with the Mekong Tourism Collaboration framework, made up of public sector organization Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) and private sector partnership Destination Mekong will host the first ever Climate Friendly Travel Youth Summit for Asia on Friday 30th April 2021. The ‘Strong Earth Youth Summit’ (SEYS) will include lectures, workshops and other educational activities aimed at highlighting the need for a clean and green post-Covid future for the tourism sector, in accordance with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and 2050 Paris Agreement.
The virtual event, held on 30 April, is one of three global events run in partnership with Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA), British Columbia, Canada; Institute of Tourism Studies, Malta (ITS); and Mekong Tourism.
SEYS will focus on creating awareness of Climate Friendly Travel (CFT) and on fostering ways to encourage changes for a resilient Travel & Tourism future. It aims to promote climate hope in the recovery of the tourism industry through awareness and education, youth empowerment, and engagement and action.
Describing the youth summit, Professor Geoffrey Lipman, President of SUNx Malta, said, “This is not just another of the many Travel & Tourism summits. SEYS is designed for tomorrow’s leaders by tomorrow’s leaders – the 45 students from 30 countries we have on our first ever Climate Friendly Travel Diploma Course with ITS Malta. We charged them with creating an event that would be meaningful and attractive for the “Greta Thunberg crowd”.
“SEYS will identify the core issues for the post–pandemic green and clean tourism sector. Our students are putting together a fast and fun program, with engaging speakers, who will captivate a global youth leadership audience.”
The Asia Summit include a range of speakers from Climate Change and Tourism experts such as Dr Susanne Becken, to the CEOs of Asia Travel specialists Willem Niemeijer of Yaana Ventures and Hamish Keith of EXO Travel followed by Q&A sessions.
Jens Thraenhart, Executive Director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office said:
“We are proud to be partnering with SUNx on this important initiative. Tourism has an essential role to play in the fight against Climate Change and it is through the next generation of change-makers that this transformation will take place. The Mekong is a region heavily dependent on tourism and we want to ensure that its long-term development is based on a Sustainable strategy which places Climate Change at the top of the agenda.”
SEYS will honour the vision and contribution of the late Maurice Strong, a close friend of Lipman, after whom the summit is named. Strong was the architect of the UN Sustainable Development and Climate Framework for half a century, and inspiration for SUNx Malta and its Climate Friendly Travel System.
“SEYS will be the first of an annual testimony to the legacy of Maurice Strong, Champion for the planet, who warned about the Climate Crisis 50 years ago and spent the rest of his life building the UN framework to respond to it,” says Lipman.
SEYS will also launch the Strong Awards to encourage students to profile Breakthrough Innovations in Climate Friendly Travel, together with Les Roches Hospitality School.
For more information on SEYS or to register, visit http://www.thesunprogram.com/summit
or use one of the buttons below to register for the individual events:
British Columbia / Americas Thursday 29th 09:00 (Pacific Time)
Asia-Pacific / Mekong Friday 30th April 14:00 (Bangkok)
Malta / Europe Middle – East Africa Friday 30th April (CEST)
About SUNx Malta
SUNx Malta is a not for profit, EU based, organisation, partnered with the government of Malta that has created a unique, low cost, system to help Travel & Tourism companies and communities transform to the New Climate Economy. The SUNx Malta “Green & Clean, Climate Friendly Travel System” is Action and Education focused – supporting today’s companies and communities to deliver on their proclaimed ambitions and encouraging tomorrow’s young leaders to prepare for rewarding careers across the sector.
About Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO)
The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO), located in Bangkok, was set up with funding from the governments of the six Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) countries – Cambodia, the People’s Republic of China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The MTCO, which operates on annual financial contributions from each GMS country, acts as the secretariat for the GMS Tourism Working Group, comprising of senior officials of the six GMS countries’ National Tourism Organizations, to coordinate and facilitate sustainable tourism development of the GMS, and promotion of the Mekong region as a single travel and tourism destination, in collaboration with the public and private sectors. The MTCO manages its award-winning MekongTourism.org digital platform as a one-stop platform to promote responsible and sustainable tourism in the region, as well as the annual Mekong Tourism Forum, whose hosting is rotated among GMS countries.
Please visit www.MekongTourism.org for more information.
About Destination Mekong:
Destination Mekong was created in 2017 to promote the Mekong region, comprising of Cambodia, PR China (Provinces of Guangxi and Yunnan), Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam as a single tourism destination to stimulate responsible and sustainable development and investment, and drive inclusive growth. Supporting the mandate of the regional collaborative tourism framework of the six-member governments of the Greater Mekong Sub-region, Destination Mekong is the regional destination marketing organization, and is owned and funded by the private sector of the travel and tourism industry in the six countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion. Destination Mekong initiates, develops, and operates various programs and initiatives, aligned to the strategic plan of the regional Mekong Tourism collaboration, published by the six member tourism ministries via its secretariat, the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office. Destination Mekong is governed by a Board of Directors, overseen by a Chair, and managed by a staff funded by Destination Mekong membership fees and program revenue streams. Initiatives include the award-winning Mekong Moments and Mekong Mini Movie Festival campaigns, the Mekong Innovations In Sustainable Tourism (MIST) program, the Experience Mekong Collection & Showcases, Mekong Heroes, and Mekong Trends. Destination Mekong also hosts its (Virtual) Destination Mekong Summit, in partnership with MTCO. Destination Mekong manages the Mekong Tourism Advisory Group (MeTAG), and organizes various virtual events in collaboration with MTCO.
Please visit www.DestinationMekong.com for more information.
Media Contact
For further press information, images, or to arrange interviews with Professor Lipman, contact Olly Wheatcroft, Program Manager SUNx Malta at: olly@thesunprogram.com.
For further press information, images, or to arrange interviews with Jens Thraenhart, contact Nattakorn Asunee Na Ayudhaya, Operations Manager Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office at: ton@mekongtourism.org.
The government will soon launch “Health Wallet”, a smartphone app for people to register for Covid-19 vaccination.
Government spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had discussed the preparation of a phone app for people to register to receive Covid-19 vaccines at a meeting with officials from the Public Health, Interior and Finance ministries on Friday morning.
The Health Wallet app would be used for Covid-19 vaccine registration. It would keep all registration data so vaccines could be distributed to people in all provinces.
The Finance Ministry and Krungthai Bank would supervise the Health Wallet app and work closely with the Public Health Ministry, which will launch the “Mor Prom’’ phone app, which allows people to book their Covid-19 vaccinaion.
Mr Anucha said the prime minister put emphasis on accelerating all processes to have Thais vaccinated against Covid-19, so the country could fully re-open.
By year’s end, at least 60% of the population should be vaccinated, in preparation for the official re-opening of the country in early 2022, the spokesman said.
The Royal Government of Cambodia is considering the reopening of international tourists who are vaccinated to Siem Reap Angkor in quarter 4 of 2021. The decision is made based on better control of the community outbreak. In addition, the vaccination rollout for government officials, tourism operators, workers and those in other sectors advances at a fast pace at this destination.
In response to the request of H.E Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism of Cambodia, Samdech Techo HUN SEN, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, has petitioned the Ministry of Tourism to discuss with the Ministry of Health (Ad-hoc committee), relevant ministries and institutions, provincial administration and private sector on possibilities to introduce package tours for vaccinated tourists.
Siem Reap Angkor is one of the main destinations which is well controlled for the community outbreak of COVID-19. This coupling with the already-vaccinated tourism businesspeople, workers and the ongoing rollout for the general population will build trust and confidence for tourists as a new currency in the tourism industry.
In order for the package tours to be attractive, the Ministry of Tourism must work out the following priorities:
1. Build Trust and Confidence
2. Quality service and price
3. Travel facilitation at international borders with respect and compliance to health and safety guidelines
The package tours may be launched for direct flight destinations without transit. Direct flights from neighbouring countries can be seen as one of the priorities.
The project reopening aligns with the implementation of “the Roadmap for Tourism Recovery during and post COVID-19” which has been recently adopted by the government.
Tourism can be a source of foreign currency, a job engine and a catalyst for sustainable regional development, but it can also have a negative impact. In order to access its inherent potential, tourism needs to be managed with foresight.
Managing destinations plays a key role here. Because of their market relevance and size, destinations have the potential to be developed and marketed from a sustainable perspective.
That requires effective destination management organizations (DMOs), which can manage the destination and coordinate various tourism-related stakeholders.
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Kids in online classes can now join a video call with elephants and scientific experts in northern Thailand.
Redefining the term “trunk call,” Thailand’s Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort has introduced complimentary field trips for schoolchildren learning from home while in lockdown. The new initiative builds on the success of twice-daily livestreams done by the resort in tandem with the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation (GTAEF), through which Internet users can admire rescued elephants walking in the jungle and taking a mud bath in the Ruak River. These showcases have garnered more than 5 million views since the start of the pandemic.
The latest livestreamed experience recalls the resort’s signature Walking with Giants experience, and callers will be able to see three-ton Asian elephants roaming the jungled surroundings of the property, located where the borders of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet. The pachyderms will be accompanied by the mahouts and either a GTAEF veterinarian or biologist, from whom viewers can learn insights about the behavior of these majestic animals. Children will also have the chance to observe the elephants’ social interaction in their native habitat, and each virtual field trip is customized to meet the needs and curriculum of the students.
John Roberts, Group Director of Sustainability & Conservation at Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas, said in a statement, “Whilst this entertaining and educational experience is a temporary virtual substitute for educational institutions’ learning through exposure to nature and nature-based activities, it is the escapism and the enthusiasm that it affords young minds — some often trapped in challenging and confusing circumstances — that make it all worthwhile.”
The Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation can organize these video calls as a complimentary experience for online school classes held during Thailand daylight hours. For more information or to reserve a spot on a live virtual field trip, get in touch by emailing jroberts@anantara.com or by calling 66-53/784-084.
Source: https://www.destinasian.com/blog/news-briefs/anantara-golden-triangle-now-offers-virtual-field-trips
