Thailand to handle tourism package for Greater Mekong Subregion
BANGKOK – The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) on Saturday agreed to assign Thailand as coordinator on the tourism package for the region, said Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul.
Ms Kobkarn said the agreement was made following a tourism subcommittee meeting during the 5th GMS Summit being held at a Bangkok hotel.
In the past, each GMS member country conducted independent marketing activities attempting to persuade tourists to visit their country but there was a lack of connectivity or cooperation, she said.
Saturday’s meeting agreed that a tourism package should be organised and Thailand–which is centrally located in the region and has most tourists visiting the country–should be the coordinator.
Initially, two tourism routes are to be laid out, she said.
The first route will be Thailand, Laos and Vietnam in which tourists will pass through the Thai border province of Nakhon Phanom while another route is for tourists to visit Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar.
Relevant authorities from these countries will meet again soon to map out tourism strategies, said Ms Kobkarn.
Admitting that problems remain, especially the single visa issue due to security issues, she said her ministry would confer over the next two weeks with concerned agencies on these issues.