mekong tourism industry engagement presentation feb 2016 jens thraenhart

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PATA  CHIANG  RAI  CHAPTER  

-­‐  16  FEBRUARY  2016  

CHIANG  RAI,  THAILAND

WWW.MEKONGTOURISM.ORG  /  SOCIAL  MEDIA:  @TOURISMMEKONG  

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ABOUT  THE  GREATER  MEKONG  SUB-­‐REGION  (GMS)

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Greater  Mekong  Sub-­‐region  (GMS)

•  Cambodia  •  China  

•  Guangxi  •  Yunnan  

•  Laos  •  Myanmar  •  Thailand  •  Vietnam  

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THE  MEKONG  TOURISM  BRAND

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•  Greater Mekong is home to more than 95 different ethnic groups

•  Each have distinct customs and traditions, culture, language and beliefs

•  All reliant on the Mekong River as a life-source, but interact with the environment in many different ways

Today’s Traveler

§  38% of all travelers say they would pay more to use a travel company that makes efforts to protect the natural environment

§  The majority would pay between

5% and 10% over existing prices to such companies

Source: Geotourism Study: Conducted by TIA and National Geographic Traveler, 2009

Sustainable tourism reflects the values of today’s travelers:

§  Crave authentic experiences §  Support travel experiences that are

true to a destination §  They reward the companies that

protect the environment and indigenous cultures around the world

SOURCE:  Na<onal  Geographic  

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The  sharing  economy  brings  us  closer  to  local  experiences  

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ExperienMal    Tourism

THE  EXPERIENCE  MEKONG  STRATEGY

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Country  Coverage  in  the  PotenMal  Routes  

Route     CAM   PRC   LAO   MYA   THA   VIE  

1.  Mekong  Discovery  Trail     *   *   *  

2.  Cruising  the  Mekong  Delta     *   *  

3.  Gulf  Coast  &  Islands     *   *   *  

4.  East-­‐West  Corridor     *   *   *  

5.  Route  8   *   *   *  

6.  Middle  Path  of  Lord  Buddha     *   *  

7.  Northern  Heritage  Trail     *   *   *  

8.  Mekong  Tea  Caravan  Trails     *   *   *   *  

9.  Largest  Waterfall  in  Asia     *   *  

10.    Hekou-­‐Lao  Cai   *   *  

11.  River  Cruising  the  Golden  Triangle   *   *   *   *  

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THEMATIC  MARKETING COMMUNITY-­‐BASED  TOURISM  

RIVER-­‐BASED  TOURISM  

FOOD  TOURISM    

HERITAGE  TOURISM    

ADVENTURE  TOURISM  

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EXECUTION

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@TourismMekong  

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INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVES

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M E K O N G TO U R I S M C O O R D I N AT I N G O F F I C E

MEKONG  IS  MY  PASSION  

2016  Mekong  Tourism  IniMaMves

1.   Official  Mekong  Tourism  Contributor  Program  

2.  Mekong  Mul<-­‐Country  Journeys  

3.  Mekong  Tourism  Library  

4.  Mekong  Tourism  Events  Calendar  

5.   Experience  Mekong  CollecKon  &  Showcase  

6.   Mekong  Tourism  Stories  

7.   #MekongMoments  Social  Media  Campaign  

8.  Mekong  Tourism  Sector  Strategy  

9.  Mekong  Tourism  Marke<ng  Workshop  

10.  MeTAG  Mee<ngs  

11.  Mekong  Tourism  Forum  

12.  Media  &  Blogger  Fam  Trips  

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Note:  2016  GMS  TWG  Workplan  contains  30  ini<a<ves  

Mekong  Tourism  Strategy  CollaboraMon  Programs

MEKONG  TOURISM  STORIES

EXPERIENCE  MEKONG  COLLECTION

MEKONG  TOURISM  CONTRIBUTOR

#MEKONGMOMENTS  CAMPAIGN  

Mekong  Tourism  Strategy  CollaboraMon  Programs

MEKONG  TOURISM  STORIES

EXPERIENCE  MEKONG  COLLECTION

MEKONG  TOURISM  CONTRIBUTOR  

 Ø  ArKcles  Ø  Library  Ø  Events  Ø  Journeys

#MEKONGMOMENTS  CAMPAIGN  

Official  Mekong  Tourism  Contributor  Program

u   Engage  passionate  experts  on  the  Mekong  Region  

u   Contributors  range  from  bloggers  to  CEOs  

u   Contributors  receive  their  own  profile  page  with  links  u   Contributors  are  searchable  by  subject  mader  exper<se  

u   Contributors  receive  a  badge  they  can  add  to  their  website    u   Ar<cles  are  credited  and  link  back  to  website  or  source  u   Contribu<ons  can  range  from  ar<cles  to  documents  for  the  library  

u   Contributors  are  asked  to  contribute  regularly,  a  minimum  of  one                                                      contribu<on  every  three  months  

u   Tour  Operators  can  provide  mul<-­‐country  journeys  in  storytelling  format  

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Official  Mekong  Tourism  Contributor  Program

INDIVIDUALS  

•     Bloggers  •     Travelers  •     Journalists  •     Consultants  •     Staff  of  companies  

•     Execu<ves  •     Small  business  owners  

•     Residents  

COMPANIES  •  Tour  Operators  •  Airlines  •  Hotels  •  Homestays  •  Cruise  Lines  •  Dev.  Org.  •  Travel  Agents  •  Media  •  Consul<ng  

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Mekong  Tourism  Strategy  CollaboraMon  Programs

MEKONG  TOURISM  STORIES

EXPERIENCE  MEKONG  COLLECTION

MEKONG  TOURISM  CONTRIBUTOR

#MEKONGMOMENTS  CAMPAIGN  

Experience  Mekong  CollecMon

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u   Collect  responsible  travel  experiences  in  the  GMS  

u   Experiences  can  range  from  accommoda<on,  adrac<on,  restaurants,  cruises,  and  more.  

u   Membership  to  the  “EMC”  is  free  of  charge  

u   Applica<ons  will  be  accepted  and  reviewed  by  an  advisory  commidee  

u   Best  prac<ces  of  the  EMC  will  be  showcased  and  published  (the  EMC  Showcase  will  be  supported  by  Thammasat  University)  

u   It  is  planned  to  develop  a  searchable  website  to  list  EMC  members  

u   EMC  members  will  receive  a  badge  their  may  display  on  their  website,  showcasing  being  a  verified  responsible  experience  in  the  GMS  

u   EMC  membership  is  to  drive  business  to  businesses,  as  well  as  increasing  confidence  of  tourists  to  travel  to  the  GMS  

u   The  chosen  best  prac<ces  selected  by  the  advisory  commidee  will  be  showcased  and  honored  at  the  Mekong  Tourism  Forum  

Mekong  Tourism  Strategy  CollaboraMon  Programs

MEKONG  TOURISM  STORIES

EXPERIENCE  MEKONG  COLLECTION

MEKONG  TOURISM  CONTRIBUTOR

#MEKONGMOMENTS  CAMPAIGN  

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Mekong  Tourism  Stories

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u   In  partnership  with  UNWTO,  as  part  of  the  “Tourism  Stories”  series  (three  books  have  been  published  –  the  latest  about  people  in  the  Philippines,  impacted  by  the  earthquake)  u   The  books  feature  stories  of  people  working  in  tourism,  and  showing  the  posi<ve  impact  tourism  can  make  in  improving  people’s  lives  and  communi<es.  u   Aligned  to  the  mandate  of  the  Mekong  Tourism  Sector  Strategy,  to  drive  inclusive  growth  and  poverty  allevia<on  in  secondary  des<na<ons  in  the  GMS  u   The  “Mekong”  edi<on  of  the  Tourism  Stories  series  would  feature  4-­‐6  stories  of  people  in  each  of  the  GMS  countries  (total  of  24-­‐36  stories).  Follow-­‐up  edi<ons  are  possible,  as  well  as  a  dedicated  website  to  go  in  more  depth,  and  to  showcase  the  des<na<ons,  and  relevant  experiences.  u   We  are  looking  for  partners  and  sponsors  to  make  this  project  a  reality  to  TELL  THE  STORIES  OF  THE  PEOPLE  LIVING  IN  THE  MEKONG  REGION.    

Mekong  Tourism  Strategy  CollaboraMon  Programs

MEKONG  TOURISM  STORIES

EXPERIENCE  MEKONG  COLLECTION

MEKONG  TOURISM  CONTRIBUTOR

#MEKONGMOMENTS  CAMPAIGN  

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Travelers and Residents share their unforgettable moments in the Greater Mekong Sub-region

MAKE  EXISTING  VISITORS  RAVE  ABOUT  YOU…  

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Launching the #MekongMoments Social Media Photo & Video Sharing Contest

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#MEKONGMOMENTS

Capture  glimpses  of  the  people,  places,  and  experiences  that  have  impacted  your  life  from  your  travels  around  the  Mekong  Region  

You  have  experienced  your  unforgedable  moments  in  China  (Yunnan  and  Guangxi),  Cambodia,  Myanmar,  Laos,  Thailand,  or  Vietnam    

From  April  1  to  May  15,  upload  to  Facebook  or  Instagram  as  many  photos  and  videos  (15  seconds  max))  you  like  by  tagging  #MekongMoments  

Have  a  chance  to  win  amazing  experiences  from  our  sponsors,  including  stays  at  remote    eco  lodges,  cruising  down  the  Mekong,  and  much  more.  

Share  Your  #MekongMoments  

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u   Social  Media  Campaign  to  allow  visitors  and  residents  to  share  their  #MekongMoments  when  experiencing  the  Mekong  Region  

u   Two  categories:  short  15  second  videos  /  photos  u   People  upload  their  moments  to  their  social  media  site  of  choice  (Instagram,  Facebook,  Youtube,  Flickr,  Vine,  etc.),  and  tag  with  #MekongMoments  

u   We  will  aggregate  all  tagged  submissions  into  a  page  on  MekongTourism.org,  and  a  judging  panel  will  determine  a  list  of  finalists  

u   Public  vo<ng  will  determine  the  winners  

u   Finalists  may  display  a  badge  on  their  website  to  encourage  people  to  vote  for  them  

u   Partners  will  sponsor  prizes  for  the  winners    

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www.MekongTourismForum.org

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Thank  you

JENS THRAENHART, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MEKONG TOURISM COORDINATING OFFICE (MTCO)

TEL: +66 2612 4150 – 1 FAX: +66 2612 4152

EMAIL: JENS@MEKONGTOURISM.ORG

WWW.THRAENHART.COM

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WWW.MEKONGTOURISM.ORG  /  SOCIAL  MEDIA:  @TOURISMMEKONG