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In this issue:
MTO establishes office in
North America
Draft Final Report Discussed
in Vientiane
Tourism, environment issues
to take stage at TWG in Ho Chi Minh City
Follow up roundtable forum
on SME investment in GMS
GMS capacity management
seminars in the planning
New Project Coordinator for
MTO
MTO establishes office in
North America
The Mekong Tourism Office (MTO) is pleased to announce the establishment
of an office in North America with the appointment of John A. Semone
(pictured) as Regional Director North America. For the first time since
the establishment of the MTO in Bangkok, the office will have a local
contact point in North America for the travel industry at large
interested in the six countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS)
comprising Cambodia, Yunnan and Guangxi (China), Laos, Myanmar, Thailand
and Vietnam.
Semone comes with over 35 years of experience in the tourism industry
with management responsibilities at Air New Zealand in North America and
the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) in both Europe and North
America. He'll head the new MTO representation office out of San Rafael,
California. His goal will be to spearhead the mission to boost the MTO
presence in North America and raise awareness of what is one of the
world's most popular developing tourism destinations.
"We are very pleased to have John at the forefront of the Mekong Tourism
presences in North America, a market we feel has much potential to grow
significantly in both arrival figures and in terms of its contribution
to the development of the GMS" said MTO executive director Stephen Yong.
"We welcome John to the team."
Commenting on his new role, John added: "I have had the great pleasure
and experience to have traveled to all of the GMS countries and to have
had a close look at the infrastructure and the potential of tourism to
the region. The destinations are exciting for the wealth of culture and
heritage that will welcome any tourist to the Mekong Region. The
history, geography and friendliness of the entire region will have a
long and lasting impression for those who visit the GMS. Indeed a new
frontier for the traveler seeking a rewarding cultural experience."
John can be contacted at: Mekong Tourism, 60 Driftwood Court, Suite 100,
San Rafael, California 94901 USA. Tel/Fax: 1- 415 -457- 3034 E-mail:
john@mekongtourism.org
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Draft Final Report
Discussed in Vientiane
The Draft Final Report for the Greater Mekong Subregion Sustainable
Tourism Development Project was set for discussion at a workshop on
February 12 in Vientiane, Laos.
The Draft Final Report presents the analysis and results of evaluations
for the subprojects based upon the inception field mission by Team
Leader Ludwig Rieder to identify, screen and select the priority
subprojects -- two field missions of the project team between July 3 and
August 12 and September 9 and October 10, 2006, as well as six national
workshops and two subregional workshops. Also included is a report on a
study of tourism SME investment policies and practices in participating
countries including Thailand.
The three field investigations incorporated interviews with more than
400 persons representing stakeholder organisations in the participating
countries. A substantial amount of survey data was also collected in
regard to market demand for the subprojects and in the poverty and
social analysis area.
"Together, we believe [these elements] provide a firm foundation for the
design of the Project in accordance with the guidelines and requirements
of the participating countries and the Asian Development Bank" noted
Rieder.
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Tourism,
environment issues to take stage at TWG in Ho Chi Minh City
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Vietnamese girls in traditional
dress riding bicycles |
To create a forum for valuable discussion and the exchange of ideas
between the Tourism Working Group and the Working Group of Environment
with regard to tourism and environment related issues in the GMS.
That's the aim of the GMS Core Environment Program (CEP), through the
Environment Operations Center, and as an initial step toward its
objective, focused thematic presentations are being organised for
delivery at the Tourism Working Group meeting in Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam on March 29.
Under the proposed title of Environmental Challenges in the Tourism
Development of the GMS, the CEP presentations will highlight issues and
prospects of the tourism industry within the tourism-environment nexus,
including technological, policy/regulatory and financing implications.
Tourism is undeniably one of the largest industries in the world and a
rapidly growing phenomenon. This particularly true of the GMS, where
member destinations have reported a surge in tourist arrivals.
Cambodia's international visitor arrivals rose 19.2 per cent for the
period January to June 2006 compared to the same 2005 period. Laos,
Myanmar and Vietnam also recorded growth -- 15, 7.3 and 7 per cent
respectively.
Yet the industry's economic development is coming with growing evidence
concerning massive negative impacts on the environment, culture and
lifestyle of the GMS destinations' local residents. Thus there is the
clear demand for a more sustainable development in tourism.
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Follow up roundtable forum on SME
investment in GMS
In March 2006 the Mekong Tourism Investment Forum focused on issues
related to regulatory barriers and incentives for foreign investment in
tourism in the GMS. While the forum highlighted both the opportunities
and shortcomings of government policies and regulations relating to
investment in tourism businesses in general, there was a feeling in the
development community more specific attention was needed to support the
development of SMEs in sustainable tourism in the GMS, particularly in
relation to pro-poor tourism development.
Thus the call for a follow up roundtable forum, with the aim of creating
a better understanding of the issues related to financing SMEs and to
propose relevant solutions the GMS governments, financial institutions
(national and multilateral development banks and venture capital
organizations) and other interested partners can realistically support.
The roundtable forum will aim to:
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Present issues related to investment in
private sector SMEs in the tourism sector with a focus on sustainable
tourism business models
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Explore specific investment options
including common commercial bank loans, currently available SME funds
and soft-loans, venture capital and personal financing
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Discuss private sector mechanisms for
encouraging the adoption of sustainable tourism business models,
including green certification, networking and mentor programs
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Explore the opportunities for support for
investing in and promoting sustainable tourism small-medium businesses
from international development lending institutions.
The national and international development lending institutions,
commercial lenders, venture capitalists, the business community and NTOs
will better understand the issues related to investing and promoting
sustainable tourism through small and medium businesses in the GMS, and
lead to policy moves at the national, bilateral and multi-lateral level
designed to enhance the financing of SMEs engaged in sustainable
tourism.
The roundtable will be so designed as to be highly interactive,
providing an opportunity to shed new light and fresh thinking on the
subject. Three sessions led by a series of short keynote presentations,
will be designed to stimulate discussion and put forward concrete ideas
and proposals on the financing of SMEs engaged in sustainable tourism.
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GMS capacity management seminars in
the planning
Mekong Tourism and The Winning Edge are planning a series of workshops
across the GMS, aimed at increasing the professionalism of destination
marketing and capacity management in the region.
"We're aiming to achieve a perfect balance between what a country can
handle and the amount of tourists going there" explained The Winning
Edge's Bert van Walbeek (pictured). Mentioning the need for "a balance
between supply and demand", he noted as of now, some destinations were
pushing through more tourists than their capacity intended, while other
destinations were receiving less tourists than their capacity could
handle.
The seminars on managing capacity and demand -- planned to begin around
mid of this year -- will be targeted at both the private sector and
public officials.
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New Project Coordinator for MTO
Mekong Tourism is adding to its team with the recruitment of a Project
Coordinator, who is set to take up the newly created role in the near
future.
Based out of the MTO's Bangkok headquarters, the Project Coordinator
will work in support of executive director Stephen Yong and focus
primarily on the development of the 29 strategic projects outlined in
the GMS five year plan, while Yong will continue to concentrate on
marketing aspects. The new position will be funded by the French
government and seconded to the MTO from the Asian Development Bank.
"We are very pleased to have the new Project Coordinator joining the
MTO and look forward to the additional benefits and productivity an
expanded team is sure to yield" said Yong.
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