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

ABOUT THE GREATER MEKONG SUB-‐REGION (GMS)

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Greater Mekong Sub-‐region (GMS)

•  Cambodia •  China

•  Guangxi •  Yunnan

•  Laos •  Myanmar •  Thailand •  Vietnam

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

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

EXECUTION

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@TourismMekong

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





Ø  ArKcles Ø  Library Ø  Events Ø  Journeys


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

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 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.

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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

Thank you

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

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

EMAIL: [email protected]

WWW.THRAENHART.COM

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WWW.MEKONGTOURISM.ORG / SOCIAL MEDIA: @TOURISMMEKONG

mekong tourism industry engagement presentation feb 2016 jens thraenhart

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