Mekong Sub-region recovers tourism growth
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In 2019, the number of international tourist arrivals in the GMS countries - Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, China and Vietnam - reached nearly 74 million, a seven percent increase over the previous year, accounting for about 15 percent of the number of tourists traveling to the Asia-Pacific region. In the first half of 2022, when these countries reopened international tourism, they welcomed more than 3.2 million visitors and are expecting stronger growth.
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As for Vietnam, in the first nine months of 2022, Vietnam welcomed more than 1.65 million international arrivals, and served 86.8 million domestic tourists, earning revenues of about US$16.5 million. These figures reflect the recovery of Vietnam's tourism, as the number of domestic tourists in just nine months surpassed the pre-pandemic 2019 figure.
Vietnam welcomed more than 110,000 visitors from GMS countries in the first nine months of 2022, and the number is expected to grow rapidly once all entry requirements relating to COVID-19 are removed.
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According to the latest World Economic Forum report, the development capacity index of Vietnam’s tourism industry ranked 52nd in 2021, up eight places compared to 2019. It was among the three countries with the highest increase in the world. Vietnam offers rich and diverse tourism products, including sea and islands, mountains and valleys, culture and cities, as well as health, discovery and golf tourism.
Joint action and effort
However, to overcome the challenges left by the pandemic, GMS countries need to work together for common goals as well as specific goals of each country.
Accordingly, at the 2022 Mekong Tourism Forum held in Quang Nam Province, General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Trung Khanh said that the GMS nations need to maintain a cooperation mechanism and build diverse and attractive new products to attract tourists from different categories.
Liz Ortiguera, CEO of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), also recommended that tourism stakeholders chart the evolution of mega trends and their impact on travel dynamics in Asia and the Pacific, especially within the GMS, in order to adapt.
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Vietnam has many advantages to attract tourists from the Greater Mekong Sub-region |
Senior sustainable tourism specialist of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Wouterus Schalken shared his perspective on “Sustainably Reviving Tourism – Mekong Reflections.” He highlighted the policies, regulations, and investments needed to ensure tourism resilience and sustainability, focusing on quality infrastructure, nature-based solutions, and adoption of environmentally friendly operational practices and diversification of the entire tourism industry.
The Mekong Tourism Forum 2022 took place in October in the central province of Quang Nam. The forum is the first interactive event gathering tourism leaders and experts from the Greater Mekong Sub-region since COVID-19 disrupted the tourism industry. The forum aims to elevate the GMS as a tourism destination, while addressing the sub-regional tourism issues. |
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