His Excellency Mr. Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism of Cambodia
The Mekong Tourism Forum 2023 (MTF 2023), hosted by the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism and co-organized by the Mekong Tourism Coordination Office, will be held in Sihanoukville, the capital of Sihanoukville Province, from April 25 to 27.
The theme of the forum is “Rethinking Resilience and Digitalisation”.
Tourism ministers, tourism leaders, national tourism authorities, NGOs and private sector representatives will discuss how to rethink post-Covid tourism in China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam as a collective and vibrant subregion
The conference program aims to extend the benefits of tourism to overtourism hotspots by addressing issues such as job creation, gender equality, food safety and hygiene, digital transformation and a more geographically dispersed approach to tourism.
At the forum, tourism experts and political leaders will present five key ideas on April 26: rethink tourism to put people and the planet first; develop local food production networks that focus on safety and hygiene while reducing food waste; use of new digital technologies to foster tourism start-ups and SMEs; improved training to equip tourism workers with adaptive skills; and promotion of equal opportunity and fair treatment for women in the private and public tourism sectors.
His Excellency Dr. Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism of Cambodia, said: “The post-Covid-19 tourism landscape now presents us with a clear opportunity to assess and rethink the tourism industry for the better.”
“Together with my tourism colleagues from across the GMS region, we will work to ensure that tourism returns as an engine of sustainable prosperity for our citizens. The MTF 2023 agenda has a clear focus and will address these issues,” he said explain.
A legend in the Cambodian culinary world, Mr. Luu Meng will tackle the challenge of improving the local food network to enhance safety and sanitation. The Smart Travel and Digitalization panel will be chaired by Mr. Ben-Jie Lim, Group Head, AirAsia SuperApp Delivery. A panel debate on enhancing human capital will be moderated by Mr. Peter Simone, Chairman of PATA, who will also deliver a keynote address at the forum. Ms. Veronica Mendizabal Jaffre from the Asian Development Bank will moderate a panel on women’s empowerment in tourism in the region.
As Sihanoukville is the host destination, on April 27th, delegates will have the opportunity to participate in many local excursions and follow-up tours, such as Sihanoukville tour, Koh Rong Island, diving, mangrove tour, skin Rowing and community ecotourism exploration. Each trip will showcase the destination’s sustainable tourism practices.
MTF 2023 will also host the Sustainable Tourism Exhibition featuring more than 20 exhibitors showcasing responsible and sustainable tourism, community tourism and local community products. The exhibition will be held on April 25-26.
150 international delegates are expected to attend MTF 2023, and travel industry leaders are free to attend.
Registration is available through the new Mekong Tourism Coordination Office website www.mekongtourism.org. Registration closes on April 18 or when spots fill up, whichever comes first.
