The goal was the focus of last week’s Hanoi-based video seminar on promoting the Mekong River basin by Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia and Japan tourism leaders. The meeting took place amid the countries tackling the global financial crisis and growing concern over influenza pandemics which have reduced flows of international tourists.

“The three Indochinese countries are forming a Mekong triangle and tourism promotion is an important pillar for their economic development,” said the World Tourism Organisation in a statement. According to Japan’s Tourism Agency, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia are among Japan’s most attractive tourism markets and the Japanese government is ready to cooperate with the three countries to promote the region as an Asian destination through official development assistance projects.

“Tourism is one of major industries to earn foreign currencies in these countries and so the poverty elimination will be highly expected through the activation of economies by the international tourism development in remote areas,” the World Tourism Organisation said.

Tran Chien Thang, Vietnam’s deputy minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the three Indochinese countries’ governments were giving special attention to further tourism cooperation with Japan as the trio were home to attractive tourism destinations including many recognised by UNESCO as world famous heritages.

“The three countries are building a joint project named ‘Three Countries-One Destination’ to turn themselves into a shared destination with unique and abundant tourism products,” said Thang, who is also chairman of Pacific Asia Travel Association Vietnam Chapter.

“To this end, further cooperation and joint efforts in information exchanges and experiences between governments are vital to design measures to expand international tourist markets,” Thang said.
Arjun Goswami, head of Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Regional Cooperation and Integration Group in South East Asia, said Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia were cooperating with the ADB in the Greater Mekong Subregion’s (GMS) tourism strategy including 29 projects.

He said the countries had actively engaged in the ‘Explore the Mekong’ campaign and ‘Visit GMS Years 2009-2010’, and were preparing for the Mekong Tourism Forum to take place in Cambodia in 2010 and for the Mekong-Japan Culture and Tourism Days in Vietnam’s Can Tho province in December 2009.

Japan Tourism Marketing Company representative director and chief executive officer Masato Takamatsu said Mekong was a much more profitable destination for travel trade than other city or resort destinations in Asia where price competition cut profits.

“What attract international tourists to Vietnam is that they want to enjoy Asian atmosphere here, while shopping for handicrafts at low prices and admiring a large number of tourism spots such as Hạ Long Bay, Hue city and Hoi An,” Takamatsu said. “In Cambodia, Angkor Wat is wonderful.”

“However, there are polluted air, trash and concerns about safety and sanitation in Vietnam, and Cambodia is home to troublesome visa procedures, beggars and drivers not following traffic rules,” he said.
According to Japanese tourism experts, the three Indochinese countries were home to poor conditions of roads, toilets and problems regarding safety, security and a lack of Japanese-speaking tourist guides.
“Japanese female travelers tend to avoid visiting destinations where toilet facilities are in a poor condition,” Takamatsu said.

According to Japan Tourism Agency’s International Tourism Relations director Yuichi Takehara, these countries only focus on certain tourism spots to lure visitors. “For example, tourists think they come to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, not to Vietnam or come to Angkor Wat but not to Cambodia, meanwhile they know Laos by name, but hardly recall an image,” Takehara said.

VietNamNet/VIR