Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV) have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen their cooperation in promoting their countries as a single tourism destination.
The countries’ leaders agreed on their tourism partnership during the “Four Countries, One Destination” conference held in Yangon, Myanmar, on July 31 under the theme “connecting tourism and expanding cooperation in the banking sector”.
The conference was attended by the Vice President of Myanmar U Henry Van Thio, Lao Deputy Prime Minister Dr Sonexay Siphandone, deputy prime ministers from Cambodia and Vietnam, tourism ministers, bank governors, and other invited guests.
The meeting focused on closer cooperation in air, land and sea transport connectivity between the CLMV countries, documentaries about tourist destinations, and the promotion of tourism links with Japan and the Republic of Korea.
Speaking at the conference, U Henry Van Thio described the “Four Countries, One Destination” plan as a huge economic opportunity to create a wonderful environment for a wider market and foreign investment in the four countries.
He vowed to expand cooperation in implementing the plan for mutual development, especially in connecting key tourism industries.
He pointed out the need for awareness of the negative impacts that large-scale tourism can bring and called for closer cooperation in the development of tourism based on mutual benefits.
Tourism ministers and other officials stressed the importance of tightening coordination and cooperation in developing the diversity of tourism products, integration activities, the regional and international promotional market, boosting investment in tourism, development of human resources, and providing easier travel between the four nations.
In 2015, more than 22 million people visited the four countries, an increase of 11.4 percent compared to 2014. It is expected that about 24 million tourists will travel to these countries in 2016, with more than 10 million people visiting in the first five months of this year.
Tourism ministers believe tourist arrivals in the four countries will reach 28.5 million in 2018 due to the steady growth of the industry.
Meanwhile, the governors of CLMV central banks met to discuss the expansion of cooperation in the banking sector.
They agreed to improve the capacity and efficiency of their banking services and submitted the outcomes of the meeting to their respective governments.
The “Four Countries, One Destination” conference was held at the Melia Hotel and organised by the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, the Central Bank of Myanmar, the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam, and the Hoang Anh Gia Lai Corporation.
Source: Vientiane Times
