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| Jul 1 2009, 5:52 AM EDT | MekongTourism | 1160 words added, 9 photos added |
| Jul 1 2009, 5:44 AM EDT | MekongTourism |
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June 2009
Opinion: How Technology and the Social Conscience Will Rescue Tourism
By Shane K Beary
There was a time when I subscribed to the concept of 'responsible tourism' as the best model to ensure a sustainable future for the industry, yet resigned myself to the fact that in our consumer-driven society where money alone is king, and where we place a financial value on our ideals, most people give the idea little more than lip service.
That of course was before circumstances and events conspired to create a situation in which responsible tourism appears to be the only viable solution to the tourism industry's woes. The have's will have to help the have not's in order to ensure their own survival.
Mr Beary (pictured) argues his case in the full article. Read it.
MTCO Connecting People, Coordinating Projects in Vietnam
MTCO Project Coordinator Christine Jacquemin (pictured) gathered tourism development partners together at the ADB office in Hanoi, Vietnam on May 25. The gathering gave donors and development agencies the opportunity to discuss their respective projects. Representatives of the European Commission, AFD, SNV, GTZ, FPSC, among others, attended.
Ms Jacquemin presented four project proposals developed by the MTCO, which were based on the findings of appropriately themed MTCO workshops. ADB and German development bank KfW are funding one such pilot project in central Vietnam's UNESCO Natural World Heritage area of Phong Nha-Ke Bang. Designed by the MTCO to strengthen the management of tourism within and around bio-diverse areas, the project was based on findings from the September 2008 workshop on tourism and biodiversity in Bangkok.
Phong Nha-Ke Bang, a 85,754-hectare park in Quang Binh Province, is one of two Natural World Heritage sites in Vietnam (along with Halong Bay). It is famous for its caves and karst landscape. A good destination for biking and hiking, Phong Nha Ke Bang's mountains are home to the richest variety of primates Vietnam. The Ho Chi Minh highway passes along the park's east side. The west borders Laos.
Phong Nha-Ke Bang's UNESCO listing.
MTCO Contributes to GMS Environment Projects MTCO Project Coordinator Christine Jacquemin discussed the implementation of the 2009-2011 Core Environment Program Biodiversity Conservation Corridors Initiative (CEP-BCI) projects by the GMS Environment Operation Center at a workshop in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on May 27. The projects have been endorsed by the GMS Working Group on the environment and include five concept clusters to be implemented thanks to US$4 million funding from Finland. MTCO has been invited to be the coordinating organization on the two clusters that contain tourism components:-
Responsible Tourism: Life's an Andaman Beach
Just a few hours from the tourist hub of Phuket, Thailand villagers invite you into their lives to experience their traditional culture and diverse eco-systems in an authentic and non-intrusive way. Andaman Discoveries (AD) offers experiences of traditional culture and ecology of rural, coastal Thailand.
Several village tours are available, including cultural tours, family tours and hands-on tours. Each of the tours contains a diverse mix of cultural exchange, ecological and handicraft-making activities. The tours are designed for everybody, regardless of age or ability, including mature and single travelers. In addition to village tours and homestays, AD also can arrange long-term volunteering placements and study tours, and can book tours to Koh Surin and the Koh Ra Ecolodge.
Full entry on the 'Responsible Tourism Guide to the Mekong'.
New STDP Focus in Lao to 2014
The new GMS Sustainable Tourism Development Project (2009-2014) aims to contribute to the socioeconomic development of Lao, focusing especially on poverty reduction, sustainable development, and the protection of natural and cultural heritage and vulnerable groups.
The Project is financed by a US$10 million grant from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) with additional resources by the Government of Lao PDR. The Lao National Tourism Administration (LNTA) is the executing agency responsible for the coordination and implementation of the project in the nine target provinces of Champasak, Salavanh, Savannakhet, Vientiane, Houaphanh, Oudomxay, Sayabouli, Bokeo and Luang Namtha.
For more information, visit Ecotourism Laos.
March 2009
Consumer Site to Focus on Responsible Tourism
BY: MTCO COMMUNICATIONS
A new extension to MekongTourism.org and ExploreMekong.org, inspired by 'The Guide to Responsible Tourism in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam' will be launched into cyberspace by the end of March
In order to expand the potential readership of the book and the geographical coverage of its valuable content, the ‘Mekong Responsible Tourism Guide’ web section will be developed for the MTCO by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)’s ASEAN Competitiveness Enhancement Project (ACE).
MTCO Executive Director Mason Florence welcomed ACE Project's initiative. "This is a terrific way for global citizens to learn about and comment on responsible tourism activities in the Greater Mekong Sub-region," Mr Florence said. "We're hopeful that this will help build the foundation for a new print edition of the guidebook, which will contain information about responsible tourism activities in all six countries of destination Mekong."
All content pages and posts based on the content of the original book, which was written by Guy Marris, Nick Ray, and Bernie Rosenbloom, and edited by Ken Scott, will be tagged "bookcontent". As the site develops further, anyone will be able submit comments, testimonials, and fair criticism on its content, and also make specific recommendations regarding responsible tourism activities in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Guangxi and Yunnan provinces of China for the website's free publication. Email content(at)mekongtourism.org.
A publication of the Mekong Tourism Development Project (MTDP), ‘The Guide to Responsible Tourism in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam’ was funded by the Ministry of Tourism Cambodia, the Lao National Tourism Administration and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism with loans from the Asian Development Bank.
To submit content, please email content(at)mekongtourism.org.
January 2009
Mekong's Priority Projects Progress Apace
BY: MTCO COMMUNICATIONS
There are risks in the current development pattern of GMS tourism that need to be carefully managed, according to MTCO project coordinator Christine Jacquemin.
Presenting the results and action items concerning the MTCO's development program during the GMS Tourism Ministers' meeting in Hanoi on January 9, Ms Jacquemin (pictured) added that the MTCO welcomed the proactive participation of all stakeholders.
Of the 29 Mekong tourism development projects overseen by Ms Jacquemin, four have been identified as priorities: Tourism and biodiversity; Pro-poor tourism (poverty alleviation); GMS tourism corridors; and vocational training courses for SMEs.
In 2008, MTCO organized the first three in a series of workshops dedicated to each of the priority sectors. A February 12-13 workshop in Phnom Penh, Cambodia will be the fourth.
The French government's regional cooperation department initiated the development program, which is co-funded by the Asian Development Bank, France, and the host countries.
Download Ms Jacquemin's presentation. (PDF 805 KB)
Opinion: How Technology and the Social Conscience Will Rescue Tourism
By Shane K Beary
 |
There was a time when I subscribed to the concept of 'responsible tourism' as the best model to ensure a sustainable future for the industry, yet resigned myself to the fact that in our consumer-driven society where money alone is king, and where we place a financial value on our ideals, most people give the idea little more than lip service.
That of course was before circumstances and events conspired to create a situation in which responsible tourism appears to be the only viable solution to the tourism industry's woes. The have's will have to help the have not's in order to ensure their own survival.
Mr Beary (pictured) argues his case in the full article. Read it.
MTCO Connecting People, Coordinating Projects in Vietnam
 |
Ms Jacquemin presented four project proposals developed by the MTCO, which were based on the findings of appropriately themed MTCO workshops. ADB and German development bank KfW are funding one such pilot project in central Vietnam's UNESCO Natural World Heritage area of Phong Nha-Ke Bang. Designed by the MTCO to strengthen the management of tourism within and around bio-diverse areas, the project was based on findings from the September 2008 workshop on tourism and biodiversity in Bangkok.
Phong Nha-Ke Bang, a 85,754-hectare park in Quang Binh Province, is one of two Natural World Heritage sites in Vietnam (along with Halong Bay). It is famous for its caves and karst landscape. A good destination for biking and hiking, Phong Nha Ke Bang's mountains are home to the richest variety of primates Vietnam. The Ho Chi Minh highway passes along the park's east side. The west borders Laos.
Phong Nha-Ke Bang's UNESCO listing.
MTCO Contributes to GMS Environment Projects MTCO Project Coordinator Christine Jacquemin discussed the implementation of the 2009-2011 Core Environment Program Biodiversity Conservation Corridors Initiative (CEP-BCI) projects by the GMS Environment Operation Center at a workshop in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on May 27. The projects have been endorsed by the GMS Working Group on the environment and include five concept clusters to be implemented thanks to US$4 million funding from Finland. MTCO has been invited to be the coordinating organization on the two clusters that contain tourism components:-
• Cluster 1: "Golden Quadrangle Integrated Approach to Tourism, Climate Change & Environmental Performance Assessment"About the CEP.
• Cluster 4: "Integrated Approach to SEA, BCI, and EPA in the GMS Southern Economic Corridor"
Responsible Tourism: Life's an Andaman Beach
 |
| Photo © Darinka Montico |
Several village tours are available, including cultural tours, family tours and hands-on tours. Each of the tours contains a diverse mix of cultural exchange, ecological and handicraft-making activities. The tours are designed for everybody, regardless of age or ability, including mature and single travelers. In addition to village tours and homestays, AD also can arrange long-term volunteering placements and study tours, and can book tours to Koh Surin and the Koh Ra Ecolodge.
Full entry on the 'Responsible Tourism Guide to the Mekong'.
New STDP Focus in Lao to 2014
The new GMS Sustainable Tourism Development Project (2009-2014) aims to contribute to the socioeconomic development of Lao, focusing especially on poverty reduction, sustainable development, and the protection of natural and cultural heritage and vulnerable groups.
The Project is financed by a US$10 million grant from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) with additional resources by the Government of Lao PDR. The Lao National Tourism Administration (LNTA) is the executing agency responsible for the coordination and implementation of the project in the nine target provinces of Champasak, Salavanh, Savannakhet, Vientiane, Houaphanh, Oudomxay, Sayabouli, Bokeo and Luang Namtha.
For more information, visit Ecotourism Laos.
March 2009
Consumer Site to Focus on Responsible Tourism
BY: MTCO COMMUNICATIONS
A new extension to MekongTourism.org and ExploreMekong.org, inspired by 'The Guide to Responsible Tourism in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam' will be launched into cyberspace by the end of March
 |   |
MTCO Executive Director Mason Florence welcomed ACE Project's initiative. "This is a terrific way for global citizens to learn about and comment on responsible tourism activities in the Greater Mekong Sub-region," Mr Florence said. "We're hopeful that this will help build the foundation for a new print edition of the guidebook, which will contain information about responsible tourism activities in all six countries of destination Mekong."
All content pages and posts based on the content of the original book, which was written by Guy Marris, Nick Ray, and Bernie Rosenbloom, and edited by Ken Scott, will be tagged "bookcontent". As the site develops further, anyone will be able submit comments, testimonials, and fair criticism on its content, and also make specific recommendations regarding responsible tourism activities in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Guangxi and Yunnan provinces of China for the website's free publication. Email content(at)mekongtourism.org.
A publication of the Mekong Tourism Development Project (MTDP), ‘The Guide to Responsible Tourism in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam’ was funded by the Ministry of Tourism Cambodia, the Lao National Tourism Administration and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism with loans from the Asian Development Bank.
To submit content, please email content(at)mekongtourism.org.
January 2009
Mekong's Priority Projects Progress Apace
BY: MTCO COMMUNICATIONS
There are risks in the current development pattern of GMS tourism that need to be carefully managed, according to MTCO project coordinator Christine Jacquemin.
| |  |
Presenting the results and action items concerning the MTCO's development program during the GMS Tourism Ministers' meeting in Hanoi on January 9, Ms Jacquemin (pictured) added that the MTCO welcomed the proactive participation of all stakeholders.
Of the 29 Mekong tourism development projects overseen by Ms Jacquemin, four have been identified as priorities: Tourism and biodiversity; Pro-poor tourism (poverty alleviation); GMS tourism corridors; and vocational training courses for SMEs.
In 2008, MTCO organized the first three in a series of workshops dedicated to each of the priority sectors. A February 12-13 workshop in Phnom Penh, Cambodia will be the fourth.
The French government's regional cooperation department initiated the development program, which is co-funded by the Asian Development Bank, France, and the host countries.
Download Ms Jacquemin's presentation. (PDF 805 KB)
