SPTO – Destination Mekong Partnership to Enhance Tourism Recovery

Bangkok & Fiji, 10th October 2021

The Pacific Tourism Organization (SPTO) and Destination Mekong have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster a collaborative partnership that will benefit both organizations and their stakeholders.

With their extensive membership of the greater Mekong sub- region (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam, as well as Southwestern Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Guanxi) and 20 Pacific Island countries (PICs), spanning all four sub-regions, SPTO and Destination Mekong represent world-class tourism destinations that will benefit from information sharing and best- practice experiences under the MoU.

A key objective of the partnership is to accelerate sustainable and inclusive tourism growth post- pandemic, so as to ensure that tourism’s benefits are equitably distributed to all stakeholders whilst also enhancing sustainable tourism development practices in the destinations.

Speaking at the MoU announcement at the virtual Mekong World Tourism Day Forum, Destination Mekong founder and outgoing Executive Director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office, Mr. Jens Thraenhart, noted the importance of innovative collaboration during this time.

“The MoU with SPTO signals an important step in a partnership agreement between two major regional tourism organizations, in a time when collaboration and sharing of knowledge is more important than ever, to practically assist our business communities prepare for a balanced tourism eco-system”, he said.

Similarly, SPTO Chief Executive, Mr. Christopher Cocker, emphasized the importance of building partnerships to effectively address common challenges.

“We are very excited to work with Destination Mekong to bring together our resources and experiences for the benefit of our respective member countries. We recognize that some Destination Mekong members are well established tourism destinations and will have valuable lessons to share with SPTO and our members”.

“Moreover, with diverse stakeholders and rapidly changing trends threats regional tourism is becoming more and more complex. Therefore, collaboration with like- minded partners is critical for regional tourism organisations, particularly against the backdrop of the pandemic. Innovation and collaboration will drive tourism’s recovery and ensure resilience in the long run”, said Mr. Cocker.

SPTO and Destination Mekong intend to host a virtual mini tourism forum towards the end of 2021, with details to be announced in due course.

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About:

 

SPTO:

Established in 1983 as the Tourism Council of the South Pacific, the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) is the mandated organisation representing Tourism in the region. Its 21 Government members are American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Marshall Islands, New Caledonia, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Rapa Nui, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu Wallis & Futuna and the People’s Republic of China. In addition to government members, the Pacific Tourism Organisation also enlists a private sector membership base. SPTO’s mission is to ensure sustainable tourism development through innovative partnerships. The vision of the organisation is, “Our Pacific Islands’ empowered and benefitting from sustainable tourism”.

 

*Queries may be directed to twaqavonovono@spto.org

 

Destination Mekong:

Destination Mekong (DM) 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. DM initiates, develops, and operates various programs and initiatives aligned to the strategic framework of the regional Mekong Tourism collaboration, published by the six-member tourism ministries via its secretariat, the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office.

 

*Queries may be directed to info@destinationmekong.com

Nominations for 2021 Mekong Hero open

Former Ministers of Tourism from Thailand and Myanmar to co-chair Selection Committee

Bangkok, February 8, 2021:  The  ‘Mekong Heroes’ program (www.MekongHeroes.com), which was launched in 2020, initiated by the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) and Destination Mekong, to celebrate passionate individuals in Mekong tourism who work tirelessly behind the scenes to “inspire and influence the direction of our industry, modeling new ways of conceiving and doing tourism better.”  These leaders that have made a significant contribution to developing tourism sustainability in the Mekong Region. These individual might be CEOs or senior government officials, or they might be entrepreneurs or small business owners. What these people have in common is their vision, commitment, dedication, and passion.  Being nominated to be a Mekong Hero is a tremendous honor, and all our Mekong Heroes join the Mekong Heroes Gallery, to inspire others to walk in their footsteps.

Nominations are now open for the 2021 Mekong Hero at: www.MekongHeroes.com and the next Mekong Hero will be announced at the 2nd Virtual Destination Mekong Summit in May 2021. 

According to Jens Thraenhart, Executive Director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO): “Achieving a prosperous and sustainable tourism industry is not possible without committed leaders, with special kinds of vision and determination. The Mekong Heroes program is important so the whole industry benefits from their authenticity of vision, purpose, commitment, and determination; maintained over years of hard work. Recognized not only as builders, creators, and innovators, but also as mentors, teachers, and motivators, these individuals have made it their mission to bring out the best in people.”

The first Mekong Hero was announced during the 1st Virtual Destination Mekong Summit on August 25th.  Selected among dozens of nominations, Ms. Potjana Suansri has been selected as the first Mekong Hero. Ms. Potjana Suansri is the founder of the Thailand Community-Based Tourism Institute (CBT-I), and currently is serving as cultural tourism capacity building expert for the UN International Trade Center (ITC) Myanmar Inclusive Tourism project.  Her interview can be watched at the Mekong Heroes Gallery at: https://www.destinationmekong.com/initiatives/mekong-heroes/ms-potjana-suansri/

 

About the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office:

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 Lancang-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. Endorsed by the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office and aligned with the mandate of the regional collaborative tourism framework of the six-member governments of the Greater Mekong Sub-region, Destination Mekong executes targeted projects and initiatives, including Mekong Moments, Mekong Memories, Mekong Deals, Mekong Mini Movie Festival, Mekong Innovative Start-ups in Tourism (MIST), Experience Mekong Collection, Mekong Heroes, and Mekong Trends, with feedback from the Mekong Tourism Advisory Group (MeTAG) and via public-private partnership investment structure, led by UNWTO Affiliate Member Chameleon Strategies.

More information at: www.DestinationMekong.com

Winners of the 2020 Experience Mekong Showcases announced

Bangkok, August 28, 2020:  The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office announced the 6 Winners of the 2020 Experience Mekong Showcases. From 60 shortlisted businesses of the over 350 Experience Mekong Collection members, nearly 10,000 eligible votes narrowed down to 18 finalists (3 from each of the six GMS member countries), and finally recognizing the six 2020 Experience Mekong Showcases.

The winners were announced at the Virtual Destination Mekong Summit on August 25th. The videos announcing the winners can be viewed at:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVmQJUJeZGFWbbubEplhL0A/videos

The 6 Experience Mekong Showcases of 2020 – 1 from each of the 6 member countries of the Mekong Region are:

The Experience Mekong Collection was created three years ago to both recognize and encourage sustainable and responsible tourism development in the Greater Mekong Subregion.  

In order to be appointed as member of the Experience Mekong Collection, all small travel businesses in the Mekong Region need to fulfill the following requirements:

  1. Make a significant social impact to its community
  2. Provide an authentically local experience positioning the GMS as a responsible, inclusive, and experiential tourism destination.
  3. Have an innovative concept and sustainable business model.

Members of the Mekong Tourism Advisory Group (MeTAG) selected the 60 shortlisted Experience Mekong Collection (EMC) member businesses – ten from each of the six GMS member countries  from the 350+ members of the Experience Mekong Collection.

“The importance of responsible tourism cannot be underestimated and the ‘Experience Mekong Collection’ is a wonderful way of highlighting examples of good practice. Social enterprises have the potential to drive sustainable tourism and to promote the Mekong Region as an experiential and responsible travel destination. We aim to tell their stories to inspire travelers to experience these “shining lights of the Mekong,” said Mr. Jens Thraenhart,  Executive Director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO).

In January 2020, at the FITUR travel trade show in Madrid, Spain, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) featured the Experience Mekong Collection as a global best practice on tourism aligned to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The 2018 Experience Mekong Collection Showcases included Phare Cambodian Circus (Cambodia), Longji Rice Terraces Guangxi (PR China), Ock Pop Tok (Lao PDR), Inle Heritage Place (Myanmar), Local Alike (Thailand), and Koto (Viet Nam). The 2019 Experience Mekong Collection included Soksabike (Cambodia), Linden Centre (PR China), Elephant Conservation Centre (Lao PDR), Hla Day (Myanmar), Sampran Riverside (Thailand), and Streets International (Viet Nam). Please see: https://www.destinationmekong.com/initiatives/experience-mekong-showcases/

All members of the Experience Mekong Collection get exposure via channels of Mekong Tourism and Destination Mekong, including MekongTourism.org, DestinationMekong.com, ExperienceMekong.com, as well as the dedicated Experience Mekong Collection Facebook and Instagram accounts. Experience Mekong Collection members also have priority access to marketing campaigns and have their own dedicated online member-only community to connect with each other.

In order to help struggling members of the Experience Mekong Collection to survive these challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic, a support page has been created at https://www.destinationmekong.com/projects/support-experience-mekong-collection-members/ to list businesses asking for donations or selling gift certificates. Please support these small businesses by visiting: For more information about the Experience Mekong Collection and its members, please visit www.experiencemekong.com.

 

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About the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office:

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 Lancang-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. Endorsed by the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office and aligned with the mandate of the regional collaborative tourism framework of the six-member governments of the Greater Mekong Sub-region, Destination Mekong executes targeted projects and initiatives, including Mekong Moments, Mekong Memories, Mekong Deals, Mekong Mini Movie Festival, Mekong Innovative Start-ups in Tourism (MIST), Experience Mekong Collection, Mekong Heroes, and Mekong Trends, with feedback from the Mekong Tourism Advisory Group (MeTAG) and via public-private partnership investment structure, led by UNWTO Affiliate Member Chameleon Strategies.

More information at: www.DestinationMekong.com

First Mekong Hero announced at Destination Mekong Summit

Founder of Thailand Community-based Tourism Institute honored

Bangkok, July 7, 2020:  The  ‘Mekong Heroes’ is a new program, initiated by the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) and Destination Mekong, to celebrate colleagues in Mekong tourism who work tirelessly behind the scenes to “inspire and influence the direction of our industry, modeling new ways of conceiving and doing tourism better.”  Two Mekong Heroes will be selected per year, who will join the Mekong Heroes Gallery. We will tell their personal stories to inspire others. Nominations are always open at: https://www.destinationmekong.com/initiatives/mekong-heroes/, and the next Mekong Hero will be announced on February 25th at the Mekong Tourism Forum in Bagan, Myanmar.

According to Jens Thraenhart, Executive Director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO): “Achieving a prosperous and sustainable tourism industry is not possible without committed leaders, with special kinds of vision and determination. The Mekong Heroes program is important so the whole industry benefits from their authenticity of vision, purpose, commitment, and determination; maintained over years of hard work. Recognized not only as builders, creators, and innovators, but also as mentors, teachers, and motivators, these individuals have made it their mission to bring out the best in people.”

The first Mekong Hero was announced during the Virtual Destination Mekong Summit on August 25th.

Selected among dozens of nominations and endorsed by chair of the Mekong Heroes Selection Committee HE Mr. Htay Aung, former Minister of Hotels and Tourism of Myanmar, Ms. Potjana Suansri has been selected as the first Mekong Hero. She gave a brief speech via video conferencing, which can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/2Yz_mgjiAi4

Ms. Potjana Suansri is the founder of the Thailand Community-Based Tourism Institute (CBT-I), and currently is serving as cultural tourism capacity building expert for the UN International Trade Center (ITC) Myanmar Inclusive Tourism project.

Khun Potjana, known affectionately as ‘P Noi’ is one of the true pioneers of community based tourism (CBT) in Asia. For over thirty years, Potjana has worked tirelessly alongside community members and other tourism stakeholders, learning how to put greater local community participation and benefits from tourism into practice.

Potjana’s work, as a thought leader and practical field worker started decades before ‘community-based tourism’ and ‘local experiences’ gained mainstream support as a market trend, tourism product and development strategy.

Potjana started her career as a social worker for Plan International, working with urban migrants being evicted from Bangkok’s slums. These experiences convinced her that rural Thais would benefit from better livelihoods opportunities in the countryside; motivating her to find alternatives to migrating to the city for work.

In 1991, at Thailand Volunteer Service (TVS), Potjana started organising rural study tours as a strategy to bring the struggles and successes of rural Thai communities to the attention of Thailand’s urban classes. Potjana supervised recent Thai graduates to work alongside community members as volunteers.

In 1994, based on the positive results which these study tours had brought to the communities, Potjana and her colleagues founded the Responsible, Ecological, Social Tours Project (REST) under TVS. In 2001, ‘REST’ became an independent organisation. REST’s work began to influence national tourism debate, proving that local communities could be actors in tourism development, and tourism could be a development tool. In 2003, Potjana wrote the acclaimed REST CBT Handbook (2003), which was used as a blueprint by rural tourism practitioners around Asia and further afield. REST was co-organiser of the 2002 International Year of Ecotourism Regional Conference in SE Asia and received a World Legacy Award in 2003 from Conservation International and National Geographic Traveler.

In 2006, Potjana directed and developed the Thailand Community-Based Tourism Institute (CBT-I) from an innovative action research project into a legally registered, internationally respected knowledge hub for Community-Based Tourism. CBT-I coordinated the Thai CBT movement, working with civil society to successfully lobby the Thai government to formalize local community participation in, and benefits from, rural tourism at policy level; and engaging tour operators and tourism associations to understand, support and sell CBT.

Since 2014, Potjana has been busy sharing her experience with neighbours in the GMS, as an expert on Capacity Building and Product Development for the ground-breaking United Nations International Trade Center (ITC), NTF Myanmar Inclusive Tourism Project, in Kayah State and Dawei District, Tanintharyi Region, Myanmar.

According to the former governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, and regional champion of sustainable tourism, Mr. Pradech Phayakvichien:

“Potjana is a modest, generous person, who is happy to work hard in the background, away from the spotlight. However, the influence of her work and ideas on government, private sector, academic and NGO programs, catalyzing and demonstrating how to drive local benefits into responsible tourism is massive.”

Ms. May Myat Mon Win, Chairperson of the Myanmar Tourism Marketing Association voiced her appreciation of Potjana’s role sharing lessons learned with Myanmar:

“Step by step, Potjana’s work has built the skills, confidence and opportunities of local community members in Thailand, Myanmar, and across the Greater Mekong Subregion to influence and benefit more from local tourism development. Without her contribution, there is no doubt that our region would have far less knowledge about how to do ‘great local experiences with real local benefits’ well. Potjana is truly fitting for recognition and appreciation as the first Mekong Hero.”

To learn more about Potjana’s work, read the in-depth interview at Sustainability Leaders: https://sustainability-leaders.com/potjana-suansri-interview/

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About the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office:

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 Lancang-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. Endorsed by the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office and aligned with the mandate of the regional collaborative tourism framework of the six-member governments of the Greater Mekong Sub-region, Destination Mekong executes targeted projects and initiatives, including Mekong Moments, Mekong Memories, Mekong Deals, Mekong Mini Movie Festival, Mekong Innovative Start-ups in Tourism (MIST), Experience Mekong Collection, Mekong Heroes, and Mekong Trends, with feedback from the Mekong Tourism Advisory Group (MeTAG) and via public-private partnership investment structure, led by UNWTO Affiliate Member Chameleon Strategies.

More information at: www.DestinationMekong.com