The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) is administered out of the offices of the Department of Tourism of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand, based in Bangkok, and was established with funding from the six governments of Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand, which represent the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS). A common goal of both of public and private sectors in all countries is to create sustainable tourism profit. This is achieved optimally by increasing inbound tourism yield, by developing quality products that tourists are willing to buy, and inciting longer stays with enhanced motivation to revisit. Thus, GMS’s strategy is to “develop and promote the Mekong Region as a single tourism destination. In 2014 the GMS welcomed 51.8 million international tourist arrivals, representing a 3% share of the global market.for the latest news, stories, and statistics from the Greater Mekong Subregion, please visit www.MekongTourism.org.

The Mekong Tourism Forum provides a cooperative platform for public and private sector stakeholders in the tourism industry to discuss the development, marketing and promotion of travel to, from and within the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), and monitor sustainable and responsible tourism growth. The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) has revived the forum in 2010 taking place in Siem Reap, Cambodia, with the theme of “New Roads, New Opportunities”. Followed by MTF2011  “Destination Mekong: The Making of a Star” in Pakse, Laos,  MTF2012 in Chiang Rai, Thailand with the theme of “20/20 Vision: Building on Two Decades of GMS Cooperation”, MTF2013 in Guilin, China with the theme ““The Rise of the Chinese traveller: Optimizing the impacts for the GMS”, MTF2014 in Mandalay, Myanmar with the theme “Tourism investment for the protection of Heritage and Culture”, MTF2015 in Da Nang, Viet Nam with the theme “Unlocking the GMS via Innovative Partnerships”,and MTF 2016 in Sihanoukville, Cambodia with the theme “Authentic Experiences along the Mekong River.”

Hosted by the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism (MICT) in UNESCO World Heritage Town Luang Prabang from June 6-9, the three-decade old event is now free of charge for all tourism professionals. After inspiring keynotes in the morning, MTF2017 will feature eight topical tracks with two sessions each in experiential venues all around Luang Prabang. The day prior, we will host the first MIST (Mekong Innovative Startup Tourism), in partnership between ADB and MTCO to support local travel and tourism startups. On the same day in the afternoon, will also have a half-day session to educate travel and tourism operators how to engage with influential bloggers. MTF2017 is under the theme: Prosper with Purpose. Optional post-MTF technical tours allow to explore the area around Luang Prabang. Don’t miss this year’s Mekong Tourism Forum, which is testing a new concept to showcase the destination by matching 8 topic tracks with 2 sessions each with 16 experiential sessions. Take a look at the sessions by clicking on the link below. MTF 2018 will be hosted in Thailand by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MoTS).