VIE, CAM, LAO, MYA, THA five countries, one destination

[geovalin]

Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar vows to work together to attract tourists

HO CHI MINH CITY, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Tourism officials from Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar discussed solutions for luring tourists to the region and integrate their tourist industry, local online newspaper Tuoi Tre (Youth) News reported Thursday.

The five countries are member of a political, economic, and cultural bloc known as ACMECS and have agreed to turn the region into an attractive destination for global vacationers under a campaign called "Five Countries, One Destination."

The tourism officials suggested during a meeting in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday that more policies be issued to allow tourists to travel between the five countries so that transnational tour packages can be offered.

Following the discussion, Vietnam reached bilateral tourism cooperation agreements with Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, in which they agree to continue to attract tourists to each other as well as visitors from other markets.

In the cooperation agreement signed with Cambodia, Vietnam pledges to offer longer training courses to Cambodian travel personnel, whereas Cambodia promises to support Vietnamese businesses in opening restaurants, hotels or river tours in the country.

Last year, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar collectively welcomed 19.6 million international tourists, up 11.4 percent from 2013. The total tourist arrivals of the ACMECS countries in 2014 were 44 million.

Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia have indeed taken action to facilitate transnational travel. On Wednesday, transport authorities from the three countries held a ceremony to officially open the pair of international border gates at Hoa Lu-Trapeang Sre to traffic.

The Hoa Lu border gate is located in the southern Vietnamese province of Binh Phuoc, and Trapeang Sre in the Cambodian province of Kratie. Vehicles of the three countries are now allowed to go through the Hoa Lu-Trapeang Sre border gates to each other's territory instead of waiting for transshipment.

The ACMECS discussion was one of the first activities to take place during the annual 11th International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City, which kicked off Thursday. The expo has 250 pavilions run by 350 international and regional buyers from 21 countries and regions.

Copyright2015 Xinhua News Agency

source: http://www.globalpost.com/article/6646302/2015/09/10/vietnam-cambodia-laos-myanmar-vows-work-together-attract-tourists