The COVID-19 pandemic created a crisis for communities around the world. In tourist hubs and border towns of Cambodia and Thailand, families were particularly hard hit, struggling to survive amid travel restrictions and economic downturns. To address this crisis, ADB tapped local-based civil society organization Mith Samlanh to implement a project which provided support and assistance to these communities.
The Viet - Smart Tourist Card. Photo by Viet Nam Tourism website
The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Economic Cooperation Program Strategic Framework 2030 (GMS-2030) emphasizes new possibilities opened by digitalization. At the recently held 51st GMS Tourism Working Group Meeting (TWG-51), GMS countries highlighted various digital initiatives they are implementing, which are helping boost their tourism markets and improve visitor management.
View from Lotte Observation Deck in Hanoi. Photo by ADB.
International tourism is bouncing back rapidly in the Greater Mekong Subregion, with 2022 and early 2023 international tourism numbers exhibiting strong and steady recovery. Furthermore, domestic tourism has grown steadily in many GMS countries in 2022, and continues to be a tourism sector priority.
Thailand’s unemployment rate dropped to 1.05%, its lowest in three years, as the country’s tourism industry rebounds.
A report by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) underscored that international tourism arrivals are slowly returning to pre-pandemic levels. The reopening of several Asian source markets and destinations will contribute to tourism recovery in 2023.
The Kim Thanh International Border Gate between Lao Cai (Viet Nam) and Yunnan Province (PRC) plays a vital role in the GMS northern corridor. Photo by ADB.
The Asian Economic Integration Report 2023 highlights the continued growth of integration in subregional initiatives and programs in Southeast Asia, including both in the GMS and the ASEAN, from 2006 to 2020.
The annual Mekong Tourism Forum returns as an in-person event in Preah Sihanouk Province, Cambodia, on 25–27 April 2023. Hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, Kingdom of Cambodia, the Forum’s theme is “Rethinking for Resilience and Digitalization.”
The Forum provides an interactive platform for regional tourism stakeholders to discuss critical issues and emerging trends, rethink the future of Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) tourism, exchange insights and experiences, as well as reconnect face-to-face with each other.
Cambodia’s economy is forecast to grow at 5.5% in 2023 and 6.0% in 2024 on a more robust tourism recovery and higher growth in the services sector, according to a report released today by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The Mekong Tourism Forum 2022 (MTF 2022) was held in Quang Nam, Hoi An, Viet Nam, on 12 – 13 October 2022, attended by over 250 delegates from across the region. It was hosted by Viet Nam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in collaboration with the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) and supported by the Asian Development Bank. The MTF 2022 followed the 50th Meeting of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Tourism Working Group and the MTCO Board Meeting.
Cambodia has welcomed over 1.57 million international visitors during the first ten months of 2022, according to the latest report of the country’s Ministry of Tourism. The number of foreign tourists grew by 991.1% compared to the same period in 2021. According to data, tourist arrivals are as follows: around 1 million by land, around 560,000 by air, and 10,000 by waterway.
Greater Mekong Subregion Secretariat
Regional Cooperation and Operations Coordination Division,
Southeast Asia Department, Asian Development Bank
Address: 6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City 1550, Metro Manila, Philippines
Telephone: +63 2 8632 4444 Fax: +63 2 8636 2226
