Vietnamese deputy PM suggests measures to boost Sub-Mekong Region tourism
HANOI - Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan has called on the six countries of the expanded Sub-Mekong region to develop initiatives that fully explore the area's potential for tourism. Khoan told the Forum of Mekong Tourism at its official opening in Hanoi on Saturday [29 March] that the region has great potential to be a major tourist destination.
The challenge is how to tap that potential to generate income, improve living conditions for people in the region and improve mutual understanding between nations. He said the region should be promoted internationally as a friendly, attractive and safe destination.
"The Vietnamese government is committed to cooperating fully with other nations to promote tourism in the region and hopes for similar support and assistance from its friends and international organizations in the sub-Mekong region," Deputy Prime Minister Khoan said. During the forum, running from 27-30 March, workshops will be held to discuss measures for boosting tourism, such as promotion campaigns, personnel training, upgrade of sub-regional infrastructure, measures to make travel more convenient for tourists, and the conservation and tapping of natural and cultural resources in the interest of tourism.
The forum has attracted 350 representatives from travel agents, tourism businesses, hotels and airlines from Vietnam and countries the world over, including the six members of the expanded sub-Mekong region: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar [Burma], Thailand, Vietnam and China's Yunnan province. It is the largest annual tourism industry event in the Sub-Mekong Region and is co- sponsored by the Pacific-Asia Tourism Association (PATA), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the UN Economic and Social Council of the Asia- Pacific region.
BBC Monitoring International Reports - March 29, 2003.
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