GMS Countries Seek Measures for Tourism Development

Tourism officials from the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries including Vietnam gathered at a seminar in the southern province of Kien Giang on May 28 to discuss measures to boost regional tourism development.

GMS countries have a great potential for tourism development but they have not yet effectively tapped it, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) said.

The nations have a diverse range of natural resources, with numerous biosphere reserves and eco-tourism parks, as well as many places of historical interest and a thriving arts scene, they attributed.

They noted that the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam is home to over 120 UNESCO-recognized cultural and historical sites and several biosphere reserves of which international visitors account for 6.5% of the country’s total annual foreign visitors.

During the seminar, participants also discussed a long term plan to ensure the sustainable development of the tourism industry in the Mekong Delta region.

Cooperation among GMS countries is described as one of the world’s fastest regional cooperation and development channels, posting an annual average economic growth rate of 6% for a decade.

The GMS region comprises Cambodia, China, Lao, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.

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Tags: Greater Mekong Subregion, Vietnam Tourism