The Tourism Working Group (TWG) comprises senior officials from the national tourism organizations of the six countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion. It serves as the advisory body to the Bangkok-based Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) and provides operational leadership and technical guidance to plan, implement, monitor, and evaluate subregional activities.
The working group meets at least twice a year.
MTCO serves as the secretariat for TWG, the MTCO Board, and the annual Mekong Tourism Forum.
The 35th Meeting of the GMS Tourism Working Group (TWG-35) was held in Da Nang, Viet Nam on 16 June 2015, attended by representatives of the National Tourism Organizations (NTOs) of ve GMS countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, ailand, and Viet Nam), the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Representatives of PRC were unable to join.
The 2015 Mekong Tourism Forum is an annual event showcasing tourism trends and developments in the subregion. Da Nang, Viet Nam photo by Central Coast Vietnam Destination Marketing Organization.
HA NOI, VIET NAM (10 June 2015) – A 5-day forum on developing and promoting sustainable tourism in the Greater Mekong Subregion, the fastest-growing tourist destination in Asia and the Pacific, gets underway in Da Nang, Viet Nam on 15 June, 2015.
ADB has helped turn former war-torn Greater Mekong Subregion countries of Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Viet Nam into a booming tourist destination.
The 34th Meeting of the GMS Tourism Working Group (TWG-34) was held in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR, on 18 November 2014, attended by representatives of the National Tourism Organizations (NTOs) of the six GMS countries (Cambodia, PRC, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam), the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Representatives of development partners including Swisscontact, GIZ and Luxembourg Development Cooperation also attended.
The once-isolated Lanten ethnic group in Nam Chang village has long been admired for its high-quality, indigo-dyed cotton clothes. ADB and Fair Trade Laos provided a range of support to develop community-based tourism, including an access road connecting the village to the highway, and training in textile marketing and management. Photo: ADB/Jason Rush.
Completion of the last overland link in the North-South Economic Corridor brings prosperity to poor provinces in the Lao People's Democratic Republic, a landlocked country that lies at the heart of the Greater Mekong Subregion.
PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA (25 November 2014) – The Asian Development Bank has approved an $18 million loan to build a marine ferry terminal and other infrastructure in southern Cambodia to open up new opportunities for tourism beyond current popular destinations like the famous temples of Angkor.
HA NOI, VIET NAM (25 November 2014) – The Asian Development Bank and the Government of Viet Nam today signed a $50 million loan agreement to upgrade Viet Nam’s tourism infrastructure, boost tourist spending, and create more jobs in the industry for poor and ethnic minority communities.
This is the joint statement from the 4th Greater Mekong Subregion Tourism Ministers' Meeting in Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic on 20 January 2013.
The idea that tourists swimming in a jungle waterfall or strolling around an ancient temple can help reduce poverty seems too good to be true. But it is a fact: an increasing body of research clearly demonstrates that tourism can help the poor.
The Ministers of Tourism of the six GMS countries (Cambodia, People’s Republic of China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam) met in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on 17 January 2011.
Senior officials from the GMS National Tourism Organizations (NTOs), and representatives from the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) and development partners including the Asian Development Bank, UNESCO, French Embassy, UNDP, and Spanish Embassy also attended.
The meeting was held in conjunction with the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2011.
Greater Mekong Subregion Secretariat
Regional Cooperation and Operations Coordination Division,
Southeast Asia Department, Asian Development Bank
Address: 6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City 1550, Metro Manila, Philippines
Telephone: +63 2 8632 4444 Fax: +63 2 8636 2226