GMS in the News

Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Viet Nam (CLV) are looking to revitalize tourism in the CLV subregion, and held a meeting on 4 May to discuss implementing the Tourism Development Plan for the Development Triangle Region (2020-2025) and Vision 2030. The working group plans to promote tourism in the triangle region through exhibitions, videos, logos and brands, with a focus on digital advertising. 

A feasibility study will be undertaken for the construction of an expressway from Houaphanh, a province in eastern Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), to its border with Viet Nam, reported the Vientiane Times. The project is part of a larger expressway construction project linking Houaphanh with the Lao PDR capital of Vientiane. 

Health ministers of Southeast Asia have agreed to work toward mutual recognition of COVID-19 vaccination certificates to facilitate travel across the region as countries reopen their borders. This will involve putting in place an ASEAN universal verification mechanism that uses digital technology while ensuring data privacy protection and security.

In the Greater Mekong Subregion, environmental assessment for livestock value chains projects helps avoid, minimize, and mitigate environmental, health, and safety risks.

Transforming Southeast Asia’s established tourism, garments, and agro-processing industries, and leveraging advances in electronics and digital trade, could support the region’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) launched today.

Instead of recapturing the tourism of the pre-pandemic era, countries should strive to create a new kind of tourism that is more closely aligned to the SDGs.

The pandemic-driven surge in data collection offers major opportunities, and some risks, for the reopening of tourism in the region.

Urban areas in Asia need to offer more and better public transport options to cut traffic jams and pollution

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) held its third Southeast Asia Development Symposium (SEADS) on 16–17 March 2022.

The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Sustainable Agriculture Support Program funded under RETA 9916 is spearheading two interconnected pilot demonstrations on digital agriculture on the (i) Traceability of Durian Exports from Thailand to PRC and (ii) Traceability of Dragon Fruit Exports from Viet Nam to PRC.