News and Events

News Summary for 16th Meeting of GMS Tourism Working Group
Siem Reap, Cambodia, 25-27 March 2005

The 16th Meeting of the GMS Tourism Working Group was held in Siem Reap, Cambodia on 25-27 March 2005. The objectives of the Meeting were to facilitate the implementation of priority tourism programs and to discuss specific areas of cooperation for promoting tourism in the GMS.

It was organized by UNESCAP, ADB, and the Agency for Coordinating Mekong Tourism Activities (AMTA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia. Senior government officials from national tourism organizations (NTOs) of the GMS countries as well as representatives from UNESCAP, ADB, the Netherlands Cooperation Agency, the Pacific Asia Travel Association, and the private sector attended the Meeting.

The 16th TWG Meeting approved in principle the Draft Report on the GMS Tourism Sector Strategy (TSS), subject to confirmation of higher authorities, the inclusion of the Guangxi Autonomous Region, PRC in the coverage, and the incorporation of comments in the revised draft. This was formalized in the Siem Reap Declaration on Mekong Tourism that the heads of the GMS delegations signed to express their commitments in principle.

The TSS aims to

• develop and promote the GMS as a single destination
• add to the tourism development efforts of each GMS country
• contribute to poverty reduction and sustainable development.

Nine strategic directions have been identified for the period 2006-2015, viz.: marketing, spatial development, tourism-related infrastructure development, HRD, heritage conservation management, social impact management, pro-poor/equitable distribution of benefits, private sector participation, and facilitation of movement of tourists.

The preparation of the draft GMS Tourism Sector Strategy Report was funded by ADB. Back-to-back with the 16TH TWG Meeting, the 10th Mekong Tourism Forum was held also in Siem Reap and attended by a total of 195 representatives from 19 countries, representing governments, international organizations, and travel-related companies from across the Mekong region.

Read the report about the meeting. [ PDF: 189kb | 18 pages ]