GMS Contents

51st Meeting of the Greater Mekong Subregion Tourism Working Group (TWG-51)

The 51st GMS Tourism Working Group Meeting (TWG-51) was held on 25 April 2023 in Preah Sihanouk, Cambodia. It was hosted by the Government of Cambodia and co-organized by the Cambodia Ministry of Tourism, and the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO). The meeting was attended by senior and mid-level officials representing the National Tourism Organizations of the six GMS countries, MTCO, development partners and organizations, including the ASEAN Japan Centre, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and private sector, including China Ready. 


Photo: Rajesh_India/ Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Travel Bubbles Proposed to Kickstart Tourism in the Region

‘Travel bubbles’ are being considered by Southeast Asian countries, including Myanmar and Thailand, as a means to safely resume travel activities. Members of the Mekong Tourism Advisory Group recommended creating travel bubbles to kickstart regional tourism in the absence of a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine in their meeting in May.

GMS Risk Communication Specialists Stress Importance of Regional Approach for Health Emergencies

Risk communication is a critical component of countries’ effective response to health emergencies. This is why it is one of the focus areas of the Asia Pacific Strategy for Emerging Diseases (APSED), the common strategic framework for World Health Organization member countries of the Asia Pacific region to effectively detect, prepare for, and respond to threats posed by emerging infectious diseases. Risk communication helps inform decision making, encourage positive behavior change, and maintain public trust.  

The development of night markets in three towns along the Mekong River aims to help revitalize the Greater Mekong Subregion and reduce poverty. Photo credit: Javier Coloma Brotons.

Increasing Economic Activities through Night Markets

A pilot project has developed night markets in selected border towns in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) to take advantage of the economic opportunities opened by infrastructure projects in the area.

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