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In this issue:
New responsible tourism
guide in production
MTO gets expanded team in
June
Yangon airport boosts
capacity
Thailand, GMS on stage at
June mart
Lao Ecotourism Forum
nearing, buyer registration fee waived
New air links for GMS
Laos-Vietnam border point
opens
Cambodia revamps e-visa
process
New responsible tourism
guide in production
The Socially Responsible Tourism Guide is a new publication
featuring socially responsible businesses and eco friendly and community
based projects, activities and attractions in the three Greater Mekong
Subregion (GMS) destinations of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
The guidebook is set for a soft release at the Lao Ecotourism Forum in
Vientiane on July 26-29, with the first edition slated for publishing in
December of this year at 5,000 copies, distributed free of charge to a
targeted audience including travel and tourism stakeholders in the GMS
destinations, regional and international wholesalers and consumers.
Designed to promote greater awareness about traveling in the GMS
particularly in regard to the cultural and natural environment, the
guidebook is a project of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Mekong
Tourism Development Project (MTDP). The Ministry of Tourism Cambodia,
Lao National Tourism Administration and Vietnam National Administration
of Tourism are also involved. Further showcasing regional cooperation,
the project team includes Nick Ray writing for Cambodia, Guy Marris for
Laos and Bernie Rosenbloom for Vietnam with Bangkok based Ken Scott the
editor in chief. Compiled in Vietnam, the publication will be designed
in Laos and printed in Cambodia.
Commenting on his role in the production of the new guidebook,
Rosenbloom said, as a writer, he was helping to provide readers with "a
tool for a bona fide responsible tourism experience." He continued on to
say: "The book is also trying to generate awareness in this type of
travel in the GMS. The challenge is in pinpointing the communities and
businesses that meet the strict criteria put forth by the ADB."
For more details contact Ken Scott at
ken@scottasia.net. Those interested in reserving a copy of the
Socially Responsible Tourism Guide can contact the MTO at
info@mekongtourism.org.
Click on to
www.mekongtourism.org.
TOP
MTO gets
expanded team in June
Christine Jacquemin joins the Mekong Tourism Office (MTO) team in June
in the newly created role of project coordinator. Based out of the MTO's
Bangkok headquarters, she 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.
Christine brings to the MTO her experience in the travel and tourism
sector -- having been involved in the launch of Thailand & Indochina
Traveller magazine focusing on the Mekong region, working as a tour
operator production manager and as a consultant in France dealing with
marketing, action and development plans -- and also an MSc in tourism
conservation and sustainable development from the University of
Greenwich England, with a focus on pro poor tourism. She was most
recently STEP coordinator for west and central Africa with the UNWTO
based in Cameroon.
Specialising in sustainable tourism development, Christine said: "I am
very glad to come back to South East Asia and am glad to see a great
deal has been done since the first Mekong forums I followed between 1995
and 2001, to see a path has been paved. This long term process has now
to face the challenge of implementation, in which success depends on the
capacity to apply sustainable tourism development principles."
The new position of project coordinator is being funded by the French
government and seconded to the MTO from the Asian Development Bank.
Commenting on the new role, the MTO's Yong said: "We welcome Christine
to the MTO team and look forward to the additional benefits and
productivity her experience in the sustainable tourism sector is sure to
yield."
Christine can be contacted at
christine@mekongtourism.org.
Click on to
www.mekongtourism.org.
TOP
Yangon airport
boosts capacity
Myanmar's Yangon International Airport has opened a new terminal
boosting capacity to 2.7 million passengers per year. The renovation has
taken some years but with the upgrade, the airport can accommodate
Boeing 747 aircraft thanks to an enlarged runway.
It brings the number of airports in Myanmar able to handle 747s to
seven, among the others being Mandalay International Airport. Yangon's
capacity is now five aircraft and 1,800 passengers per hour, although
still well below its Asian neighbours. Eleven foreign airlines operate
some 85 flights per week to Myanmar, among them Thai Airways
International, Malaysian Airlines, Silk Air, Bangkok Airways, Thai Air
Asia, Jetstar Asia and Qatar Airways.
The increased capacity at Yangon International Airport fits well with
the plans of some countries to boost tourism links with Myanmar,
including Cambodia with prime minister Hun Sen having suggested joint
package tours.
TOP
Thailand, GMS
on stage at June mart
It's now less than two weeks until the Thailand Travel Mart 2007 Plus
Amazing Gateway to Greater Mekong Subregion (TTM+2007). This year's
edition takes place June 7-10 at Impact Muang Thong Thani in Bangkok,
targeting 400 invited buyers from key and emerging markets and 400
sellers from Thailand and the Mekong region.
June 7 and 8 are trade only days, while the evening of June 8 through to
June 10 are consumer days; TTM+2007 is being held in conjunction with
the Thailand Tourism Fair for Thai consumers and expatriates. Sellers
are being encouraged to participate in both TTM2007 and the Thailand
Tourism Festival, to reach both trade delegates and consumers.
For more details click on to
www.thailandtravelmartplus.com.
TOP
Lao Ecotourism Forum nearing, buyer
registration fee waived
Bringing together high quality and innovative Mekong region ecotourism
products and services under the theme ‘Bridging the Mekong Region', the
2007 Lao Ecotourism Forum -- the third annual edition of the show -
takes place July 26-29 at Vientiane's Don Chan Palace Hotel. The event
is aimed at showcasing the natural and cultural heritage of Laos and the
Mekong region.
Whereas in 2006 the event covered just two days, a revised program this
year features a full day Mekong Ecotourism Conference and a full day of
buyers-sellers appointments in the Mekong Ecotourism Mart, as well as
two public days on July 28 and 29. The 5k Mekong Fun Run and Lao Food
Festival have also been added. The run on July 28 is open to all and
starts at 6.30 am at Vientiane's That Luang Stupa and pass the Victory
Monument and Vientiane's Old Quarter before finishing at the Don Chan
Palace Hotel.
Buyers to the forum represent mostly Asian, European and North American
source markets. To date 60 sellers booths have been reserved and more
than 50 buyers have expressed their interest in attending. Most of the
sellers contingent will be Laos based companies, although all GMS member
nations will be represented. A number of Asean based investors have also
shown interest in the region's ecotourism sector and will join the
forum.
The registration fee for qualified buyers has been waived. For more
details, online registration until July 1 and a look at buyers and
sellers having registered their participation, click on to
www.ecotourismlaos.com/forum2007.
TOP
New air links for GMS
A number of new airline routes have been launched to destinations in the
GMS region. Here's a look at some of them:
Air Bagan
The airline launched a Yangon-Bangkok service using Airbus A310
equipment on May 15. The flight departs Yangon early morning and from
Bangkok mid morning. The airline also plans to launch services to
Kunming and Siem Reap this year.
www.airbagan.com.
Hong Kong Airlines
Hong Kong based Hong Kong Airlines launched a four times weekly service
between Hong Kong and Hanoi on April 25, using B737-800 aircraft. The
flight departs Hanoi in the morning and from Hong Kong in the evening.
www.hkairlines.com.
Asiana Airlines
The Korean carrier -- a Star Alliance member -- now flies between Ho Chi
Minh City and Busan on a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (departure is
1.50 am) and from Busan to Ho Chi Minh City on a Monday, Wednesday and
Friday (departure is 9.30 pm).
www.us.flyasiana.com.
Qatar Airways
The airline's first service between Doha and Ho Chi Minh City operates
five times a week, with departure from Doha early morning (except one
midnight departure) and from Ho Chi Minh City in the evening.
www.qatarairways.com.
TOP
Laos-Vietnam border point opens
The long awaited opening of the Muang Khoua-Dienbienphu border between
Laos and Vietnam for foreigners took place on May 4. The route links two
of the nations' best known destinations -- the steep limestone mountains
of the Nam Ou River in Laos and Vietnam's historic Dienbienphu. A visa
on arrival can be obtained at the border checkpoint.
Asian Trails is one tour operator creating new overland itineraries
using the newly opened border crossing, as well as via Xam Neua/Nameo
which is another border crossing located further south.
There has recently been difficulty entering Vietnam and Laos at these
points from either side. Authorities are asking foreign tourists to show
their departure flight tickets and if no such documentation is produced,
entry is refused.
For more information contact Asian Trails at
www.asiantrails.info.
TOP
Cambodia revamps
e-visa process
Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has revamped the e-visa
application form on its website
www.cambodiaevisa.com. Rather than having to apply for a visa at a
Cambodian embassy, an applicant completes the online form and pays a
US$20 fee plus a US$5 online processing charge via credit card. The
approval period for the e-visa is within three business days.
It's important to note - as the site indicates -- e-visas can only be
used at valid entry points to Cambodia. There are currently five: Phnom
Penh International Airport and Siem Reap International Airport for those
arriving by air; and for land at Bavet (Svay Rieng-Moc Bai (Tay Ninh)
for Cambodia-Vietnam and Cham Yeam (Koh Kong)-Hat Leuk (Trat) and Poi
Pet (Banteay Meanchey)-Klo Leuk (Sakaew) for Cambodia-Thailand.
The effort to offer a smoother visa application process is part of a
restructuring of the entire site, based on feedback garnered over the
past year. Enhancements have also seen the site now support more
languages, including English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese,
Bahasa Indonesia, French, German, Hungarian, Swedish and Portuguese.
Click on to the site at
www.cambodiaevisa.com.
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