- Mekong Tourism recovers and developing
On the morning of October 12, at Hoiana Resort & Golf, Quang Nam province, the Director General of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Trung Khanh gave an official opening speech at the 2022 Mekong Tourism Forum with the theme "Reincarnation". tourism industry, Resilience to restore tourism".Attending the Forum were leaders of the People's Committee of Quang Nam province; Head of the tour group of countries in the Greater Mekong Sub-region; speakers and researchers from the Greater Mekong Subregion national tourism organizations, Asian Development Bank, Destination Mekong, Asia-Pacific Tourism Association, ASEAN Tourism Association and the representing tourism businesses in the sub-region; with local and international press reporters.
Welcoming delegates to the 2022 Mekong Tourism Forum, Director General Nguyen Trung Khanh said that tourism is a priority area in the framework of economic cooperation of the Greater Mekong Subregion, receiving many interest and support from international organizations, especially the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Asia-Pacific Tourism Association (PATA). In recent years, sub-regional tourism cooperation has received special attention from the governments of other countries, attracting the effective and active participation of international organizations, tourism businesses and partners. relate to.
The Mekong Tourism Forum and related tourism meetings are held periodically, making a significant contribution to sharing tourism development experiences, capturing information, mobilizing international support to implement tourism development. joint tourism projects of the sub-region. In 2019, the number of international tourists to the Greater Mekong Subregion reached nearly 74 million, up 7% compared to 2018, accounting for about 15% of the number of tourists traveling to the Asia-Pacific region. . In the first 6 months of 2022, when the countries of the Mekong sub-region opened their doors, they welcomed more than 3.2 million international visitors and this number will continue to grow significantly for the whole year.
Vietnam adapts safely, flexibly, taking the lead in fully opening up to international tourism
On the Vietnamese side, the Director General said that in the face of challenges and heavy impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, the tourism industry has proactively and actively adapted to deploy many solutions to cope with the pandemic, overcome over nearly two years of upheaval with the leadership and direction of the Party, State and Government and the active support of ministries, branches and localities.
Many documents have been issued to implement the direction of the Government and the Prime Minister on measures to ensure safety to prevent and control the epidemic, while adapting safely, flexibly, and boosting demand stimulation and recovery of activities. tourism action. The tourism industry has been very proactive and made great efforts in implementing many solutions to respond to and minimize the impact of the pandemic; At the same time, take measures and initiatives to attract the participation of many stakeholders in the industry to improve service quality, enhance promotion, build brand, and prepare for opening. synchronized, planned and effective way to successfully navigate the turbulent times.
The General Director emphasized that the decision to reopen international tourism with strong measures implemented from March 15, 2022 is very important, at the right time, made on the basis of strong foundations. firmly and important lessons learned in the recent epidemic prevention and control. It can be affirmed that Vietnam's tourism has succeeded in reopening to international tourism, recognized by UNWTO as the first Southeast Asian country to completely remove travel barriers related to Covid-19.
In the first 9 months of 2022, Vietnam welcomed more than 1.65 million international arrivals, served 86.8 million domestic tourists,
total revenue is about 16.5 million USD. These figures confirm the recovery of Vietnam's tourism, especially when the number of domestic tourists in just 9 months has surpassed the figure of the whole year of 2019 before the pandemic. Particularly in the Greater Mekong Sub-region, Vietnam welcomed more than 110,000 visitors from GMS countries in the first three quarters of the year. The number of visitors will continue to grow rapidly in the near future, when countries in the sub-region are in turn completely removing entry requirements related to Covid-19, facilitating destination connectivity.
In order to restore the tourism growth momentum of the sub-region, Director General Nguyen Trung Khanh said that the 6 member countries need to continue the development cooperation mechanism, build diverse and attractive new products to attract tourists. calendars from multiple segments.
To do that, it is indispensable for coordination and active support of resources from state-owned investors for tourism infrastructure and training programs to improve the quality of human resources. travel; simultaneously from private sector investors for tourism products and services, accommodation and transportation facilities. In addition to familiar partners such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), in the coming time, the Greater Mekong Subregion will actively seek and coordinate with new and potential investors to further develop the industry. Tourism has become a key economic sector of the sub-region.
The Director General also proposed a number of solutions for sub-regional tourism to recover and develop in the coming time, including:
(1) Strengthening intra-regional linkages and cooperation: Member countries continue to join hands to effectively implement the Mekong Tourism Strategy 2016-2025, action plans and tourism projects in the sub-region The Greater Mekong ensures efficiency, science and delivers the best results. (2). Promoting effective public-private partnerships and building new partnerships: Enhance the effectiveness of public-private partnerships and attract more interest and participation of industry stakeholders to creating favorable conditions for tourists and a good business environment for businesses, expanding connections within the tourism industry and also across industries to explore new ways of inclusive-oriented tourism development. (3).
Promote communication and joint tourism promotion: Through the implementation of the GMS Tourism Recovery Communication Plan and joint promotion activities, the tourism industries of the Greater Mekong Subregion countries need to strengthen the organization of communication campaigns and develop the Mekong destination brand to promote six countries, one destination. (4). Developing and improving product quality, upgrading tourism infrastructure and facilities: The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the needs and tastes of tourists, requiring destinations from other countries. The Mekong needs acumen to respond to the requirements of the new situation to enhance the competitiveness of the tourism industry.
(5). Promoting digital transformation and application of information technology in tourism: The Covid-19 pandemic has emphasized the importance and benefits of digital transformation for the tourism industry. The Mekong tourism industry needs to strengthen research, improve the efficiency of application of modern technologies to serve tourists, businesses and localities, support safe tourism control and digital promotion.
Director General Nguyen Trung Khanh believes that in order to successfully rebuild the tourism industry, countries need to work together with collective efforts towards the common goal of restoring the Mekong tourism industry. The Greater Mekong Subregion will recover strongly from the pandemic, affirming its position as an attractive common destination for international tourists.
During the whole day of October 12, the 2022 Mekong Tourism Forum will take place with many important contents: An expert perspective "Reviving sustainable tourism - Reflecting on the Mekong"; Discussion sessions “Public Enterprise: A Powerful and Purposeful Tool for Reviving, Developing and Promoting Sustainable Tourism”, “New Ways to Connect Sustainable Tourism Buyers and Suppliers” sustainable”, “Technology: Opening up green tourism opportunities”…
The annual Mekong Tourism Forum aims to elevate the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) as a common tourism destination, providing an industry-wide platform for the public and private sectors to promote tourism. solve the tourism problems of the Sub-Region,while simultaneously expanding marketing networks and promotion opportunities to promote GMS while pooling collective resources to create industry synergy.
With the theme "Reconstruction of the tourism industry, Resilience of tourism recovery", the 2022 Mekong Tourism Forum is the first face-to-face conference of the Sub-region, chaired by a state-level agency since the founding of the Mekong River Delta. epidemic occurred, marking an important milestone in the recovery of the tourism industry in GMS member countries. This interactive event serves as a platform for tourism stakeholders to reconnect, exchange knowledge and experiences in tourism recovery communication, and gather new insights about GMS tourism from industry experts.
