GMS Contents



34th Meeting of the GMS Tourism Working Group (TWG-34)

The 34th Meeting of the GMS Tourism Working Group (TWG-34) was held in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR, on 18 November 2014, attended by representatives of the National Tourism Organizations (NTOs) of the six GMS countries (Cambodia, PRC, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam), the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Representatives of development partners including Swisscontact, GIZ and Luxembourg Development Cooperation also attended.



The once-isolated Lanten ethnic group in Nam Chang village has long been admired for its high-quality, indigo-dyed cotton clothes. ADB and Fair Trade Laos provided a range of support to develop community-based tourism, including an access road connecting the village to the highway, and training in textile marketing and management. Photo: ADB/Jason Rush.

The once-isolated Lanten ethnic group in Nam Chang village has long been admired for its high-quality, indigo-dyed cotton clothes. ADB and Fair Trade Laos provided a range of support to develop community-based tourism, including an access road connecting the village to the highway, and training in textile marketing and management. Photo: ADB/Jason Rush.

Tourist Influx Helps Rural Lao PDR Thrive

Completion of the last overland link in the North-South Economic Corridor brings prosperity to poor provinces in the Lao People's Democratic Republic, a landlocked country that lies at the heart of the Greater Mekong Subregion.