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In this issue:
'Responsible' Site Wins 'Gold Award'
… And is Eligible for the 'Spotlight Award'. Vote Now!
MTCO Speaks at PPP Workshop in Hanoi
Tourism Dropped from Draft Mekong Work Plan
Cambodia Angkor Air Plans Regional Routes
Responsible Tourism: Off the Beaten Path in Northeast Thailand
News in Brief
Tap New Markets at www.ExploreMekong.org
Learn, Share, Engage at www.MekongTourism.org
Go Social with Mekong Tourism
'Responsible' Site Wins 'Gold Award'
The 'Responsible Tourism Guide to the Mekong' at
www.ExploreMekong.org/responsible has won the 2009 Pacific Asia
Travel Association (PATA) Gold Award in the website category.
This year's PATA Gold Awards program
attracted 236 entries from 120 organisations worldwide. Each PATA Gold Award is judged by a panel of industry experts.
"This Award sends a message of support, encouragement, and inspiration to responsible tourism operators in the Mekong," said Mekong
Tourism Executive Director Mason Florence. "They now have an opportunity to be featured in a website that has been branded "Gold-class" by
industry peers."
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)'s ASEAN Competitiveness Enhancement (ACE) Project developed
the site as part of its technical assistance to ASEAN- and Mekong-region tourism cooperation and integration.
ACE Project Director RJ Gurley said: "We wished to demonstrate that with sound advice and the right mix of user-friendly
open-source technologies, small tourism operators can achieve competitive web standards with relatively low budgets."
The 'Responsible Tourism Guide to the Mekong' site cost little more than US$1,000 to design and build. It was based on a
responsible tourism guidebook published by the Mekong Tourism Development Project in 2008.
www.ExploreMekong.org/responsible
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… And is Eligible for the 'Spotlight Award'. Vote Now!
Voting is open for the 2009 Ecotourism Spotlight Award. Government websites that educate visitors about ecotourism and responsible travel
options are eligible. Vote 'Mekong' now.
Nominees include the 'Responsible Tourism Guide to the Mekong' (Mekong Tourism's
PATA Gold Award-winning website), plus websites from Ireland, Laos, and Mexico.
Unlike the PATA Gold Award, which was determined by a panel of expert judges, the Ecotourism Spotlight Award is based on a
popular vote. Make your voice count: Vote 'Mekong' now.
The winner will be announced in celebration of World Tourism Day (September 27) as way of spotlighting best practice in responsible travel and
ecotourism.
Vote 'Mekong' now.
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MTCO Speaks at PPP Workshop in Hanoi
MTCO Executive Director Mason Florence (pictured right) focused on private sector tourism development under the GMS Tourism Sector Strategy to
2015, discussed case studies from the respective GMS members, and outlined possibilities for partnership between the MTCO and key
regional players in destination marketing and promotion.
Mr Florence was a panelist and moderated a workshop held in Hanoi, Vietnam, July 24, under the topic of Enhancing the Public
& Private Partnership in Tourism Marketing & Promotion. The event, organized by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism
(VNAT) with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), addressed the issue of better cooperation in the tourism industry
between the government and private sector.
Representatives and consultants from local and international organizations including VNAT, the UN World Tourism Organization
(UNWTO), Saigontourist Holding Company, the Netherland Development Organization (SNV), Vietnam Tourism Association VITA, and
Indochina Hotels and Resorts also presented.
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Tourism Dropped from Draft Mekong Work Plan
Mekong member countries have endorsed a draft Mekong River Commission (MRC) Work Program for 2010, which leaves out a proposed tourism
program. The agreement was reached during the 30th Joint Committee Meeting and the 14th Dialogue Meeting of the MRC in Vientiane, which ended
July 30.
The meetings brought together MRC member countries – Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam – to meet with dialogue partners
Myanmar and China. Member countries were invited to provide comments and suggestions on the draft MRC Work Program 2010 by August 25. Members
agreed to provide comments on the draft program before the deadline for endorsement at the preparatory meeting of the Joint Committee for the
16th Meeting of the MRC Council.
Source: Vientiane Times, July 31, 2009
MRC site.
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Cambodia Angkor Air Plans Regional Routes
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen and Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong cut the ribbon July 27, to launch the
new Cambodian national airline Cambodia Angkor Air (CAA or IATA code K6). CAA is a joint venture between the Cambodian National Aviation
Agency and the Vietnam Airlines Corporation. The airline has two ATR-72-500 aircraft serving domestic flights between Phnom Penh,
Sihanoukville, and Siem Reap. K6 plans to expand its range to Mekong neighbors Vietnam and Thailand with A-320 and A-321 aircraft.
CAA site.
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Responsible Tourism: Off the Beaten Path in
Northeast Thailand
Gecko Villa offers guests the chance to experience traditional rural life in the rice-farming heartlands of Northeast Thailand,
yet in comfort and without the normal language barriers encountered in the area. The villages of Isan are rarely visited by
tourists and offer a marked contrast to developed tourism destinations.
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As a standalone property, Gecko Villa offers visitors the possibility of integrating
themselves into the local community via a Thai host family. The impact of tourism is minimized by the deliberately small size of
the property and a policy of only accommodating one group of visitors at a time.
All Gecko Villa's revenues are distributed within the local community. All its employees are local. And
the majority of produce and services at the property are sourced locally. For those who would like to assist the community, visits
to village schools may be arranged. Donations of educational equipment, sporting goods or clothing are always gratefully accepted.
Gecko Villa would also welcome your help in undertaking its reforestation projects in disused rice
paddies.
Full entry on the PATA Gold Award-winning
'Responsible Tourism Guide to the Mekong'.
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NEWS IN BRIEF
The Mekong and Tourism Included in China-ASEAN FTA
A China-ASEAN free trade agreement schedule for adoption by 2010 defines 11 major fields for future cooperation, including the
Mekong River, tourism, culture, and the environment.
Japan Keen to Cooperate in GMS
The Japanese Foreign Minister will meet his counterparts from GMS countries in Siem Riep, Cambodia in October to discuss
cooperation programs, such as in the Emerald Triangle.
Tourism in Focus at Green Industry Conference
"Advancing a Low-carbon Tourism Industry: Challenges and Responses", organized by UNEP and UNIDO on the sidelines of the
International Conference on Green Industry in Asia, will take place September 10, 1030hrs – 1230hrs in Manila, the Philippines.
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Tap New Markets at www.ExploreMekong.org
MTCO's consumer-facing website
www.exploremekong.org will be a key
platform for marketing the Mekong region as a premier tourism destination.
Through www.exploremekong.org the
MTCO offers Mekong-region tourism stakeholders a valuable opportunity to dabble in online distribution for the first time, or
expand upon their existing web-based channels.
Minimum conditions apply for private-sector inclusion in the website's booking engine. Sponsorship and advertising
opportunities are also available.
For more information on the marketing opportunities offered by
www.exploremekong.org, please email
exploremekong@genaresasia.com.
Learn, Share, Engage at www.MekongTourism.org
The MTCO's website at www.mekongtourism.org
is quickly developing into an indispensable resource for anyone interested in tourism development: development partners, NGOs,
students, teachers, policy makers, and the travel trade.
Bookmark www.mekongtourism.org for
convenient access to the proceedings of
MTCO's GMS
workshops and other resources
pertaining to sustainable tourism development, especially the MTCO's priority themes of conservation, poverty alleviation, human
resource development, and tourism corridor enhancement.
To contribute your own tourism development news, opinions, and resources to
www.mekongtourism.org, please email
content@mekongtourism.org.
Go Social with Mekong Tourism
Help MTCO tap into and expand its social media networks: Follow "Explore Mekong" on
Twitter, join our "Mekong Tourism" groups on
Facebook,
LinkedIn and
Plaxo, and help
us represent the GMS on The "Good Tourism" Wiki!
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