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.
ADB is one of Lao PDR's largest sources of official development assistance, with an average annual lending of $100 million over the 5 years to 2021.
ADB remains deeply concerned about recent developments in Myanmar and will continue to consult with shareholders and other stakeholders on any operations in the country.
ADB is one of Cambodia's largest sources of official development assistance, with average annual lending of $329.8 million from 2016-2021. The bank's support is aligned with the Cambodia's National Strategic Development Plan 2019-2023.
Photo by Dennis Sylvester Hurd via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Cambodia and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic have reported a steady drop in average COVID-19 cases per day in April 2022, according to a report on “Vaccination Rates, Effectiveness, and Safety” by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). In Cambodia, the average COVID-19 cases per day dropped from 164 to 18.4, and deaths decreased from 1 to 0.06, marking a fall in case fatality rate from 0.43% to 0.35%. In Lao PDR, daily infection rates declined steadily, averaging at 986 for April 2022 from 1102 in March 2022, while average deaths per day plateaued between 1 to 3.
Fisherwoman in Stung Sangke river, Battambang province. Photo by Eric Sales/ADB.
A proposed Asian Development Bank (ADB) project will help finance two standard ports that will boost the fisheries and tourism sectors of Cambodia’s Kep province.
A report by the Khmer Times shared provincial officials and ADB are working to establish the ports’ locations, according to Mr. Vao Sokha, Kep Deputy Governor.
Night scene in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam. Taken in 2019. Photo by Gerhard Joren/ADB.
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.
Sustainable tourism supports the SDGs, revives the environment, and boosts communities. Photo credit: ADB.
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 crowds are sparse in the ordinarily busy district of Chinatown in SIngapore. Shop owners estimate that business has dropped by 50% due to the COVID-19 crisis. 2020 Lester Ledesma/ADB.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) launched the Southeast Asia Sustainable Tourism Hub on 17 March 2022 at the third Southeast Asia Development Symposium (SEADS).
Southeast Asia’s tourism industry is still reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. To accelerate an inclusive and sustainable recovery, ADB is increasing its support for investments, capacity development, and knowledge.
A cruise ship in Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam. Photo by Bryan Lippincott (CC BY-ND 2.0)
The 25th Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers held on 19 January 2022 in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, exchanged views on the way forward for the recovery of the region’s tourism industry. Bearing the theme “ASEAN – A Community of Peace and Shared Future,” the Meeting discussed the impact of COVID-19 on each ASEAN member state and emphasized the development of the tourism sector amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Decline in Tourist Growth
Waterfall in Phnom Kulen, Siem Reap, Cambodia. Photo by Kim Seng (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
The Government of Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment plans to develop and establish ecotourism in protected areas of Siem Reap, Kampong Speu, and Koh Kong provinces under the “Cambodia Sustainable Landscape and Ecotourism Project.”
Areas that will potentially be developed include the Preah Jayavarman-Norodom National Park “Phnom Kulen”; the Oral Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary and the Central Cardamom Mountain National Park; and the Tatai and Peam Krasop Wildlife Sanctuaries.
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