Destination Mekong was founded by the private sector of the travel and tourism industry in the GMS, initiatied by the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office under the principles of executing on the mission of the GMS Tourism Working Group
And the following mandate to:
1. Promote the GMS as a single tourism destination.
2. Promote visitor dispersion and secondary destinations.
3. Promote inclusive growth, gender equality, and small and micro enterprises.
MTCO is facilitating the cooperation of the six National Tourism Organizations with the private sector to engage all stakeholders to collaboratively execute the mandate and mission, by supporting the development and operations of programs aligned to the GMS Tourism Sector and Marketing Strategies.
The Mekong Tourism Collaboration framework between the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office and Destination Mekong is a global best practice recognized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to collaborate with the public and the private sectors to create value narrowing the gap between different stakeholder groups with disparate functions, including government, industry, academia, NGOs, travelers and residents.