Destination Mekong organized the initial call of MeTAG Expert Group on SDGs & Climate Change

On July 6, the Mekong Tourism Advisory Group (MeTAG) Expert Group on SDGs & Climate Change was recently well established to address one of the most critical issues that need to be taken on serious action.
 
It was a very productive discussion in the first call organized by Destination Mekong and facilitated by Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office among MeTAG members who brought valuable comments and ideas to work toward Climate Change issues, especially within this region.
 
The recording is available here

FOOD FOR FIGHTERS! #MAKEGOODWASTE PROGRAM

Since the Government imposed a third round of dine-in bans “ lockdown “ with less than 24 hours notice for a period of 30 days, not only left restaurateurs in financial hardship but also, with food inventory that would now go to waste. Motivated by posts made by a number of Chefs and restaurant owners expressing their desperate concerns for the inventory that they would now have to lose or waste, Bangkok Foodies team looked to the Food For Fighters organisation to help for this pressing issue. Bangkok Foodies, in cooperation with Food for Fighters, then came up with the the #MakeGoodWaste Program.

So, how does it work? Bangkok Foodies will begin their support by spreading the word of this project and source/select the restaurant who would like to participate in cooking charity meal boxes and provide those meals for the Food for Fighters Organisation. An organisation which has been responsible for sourcing funding and using those funds to commission chefs, restaurants, cooks and volunteers to cook and  provide over 200,000 meals to those in communities suffering from the COVID-10 outbreak in Thailand. Besides Bangkok communities, they provide meals to Thailand’s field hospitals, medical centers and prisons affected by COVID-19. The positive result is, participating chefs and restaurants may be able to recover some of the costs they would have normally wasted and contribute to feeding and helping these communities in desperate need, at the same time!

How does it work:

Once a restaurant participant is confirmed with the Bangkok Foodies team, they will pass the participant’s information onto the Food For Fighters team, who will coordinate and schedule the 100 meal boxes’ date and shipping times for delivery. The food should be cooked at the participant’s restaurant or whichever kitchen is convenient, on the same day, prior to the delivery. Don’t forget to take photos of your efforts so we can help to share! The Food For Fighters team, with the funding they have raised by donors, will support with a small budget per food box (1 single serve per box) to be determined once contacting the Bangkok Foodies team as it would depend on the budget available at that time.

The Chef or restaurant will cook 100 boxes of a meal of their choice, something affordable, easy and casual to eat, such as rice and chicken or a simple sandwich or pasta. However, the chef and restaurant participants are more than welcome to add their personal tastes and touch to their meals, as it will represent their brand. Participants are free to apply branded stickers or stamps on boxes or paper bags. See here for some of the dishes some of Bangkok celebrity chefs have made for inspiration.

Read the full article at https://www.bangkokfoodies.com/be-part-of-the-makegoodwaste-program-with-food-for-fighters-x-bangkok-foodies/?fbclid=IwAR3WwoHzKp-0sDt-7KRNHwHwtnaTOC3Oc_T8hD5thuBFYX5WgDDFsYNCNRM

Klean Kanteen runs the “Replace Single-Use Plastic” campaign to support and give back to the Thailand Recovery Fund in support of healthcare professionals combating with COVID-19

Replace single-use plastic! Grab yourself one of Klean Kanteen’s vacuum insulated TKWide bottles and give back to Thailand Recovery Fund in support of healthcare professionals combating COVID-19.

Thailand Recovery Fund is a reserve fund for quick response against any unfortunate disasters or other social emergency issues.

The fund will continuously be raised to always be well-prepared to respond quickly to any emergency situations such as flooding, wildfire, or possible recurrence of Covid-19.
 
As a result, your donation to the Thailand Recovery Fund creates quick responses to several issues in the society. We believe that an effective help comes from an immediate response to the issues.
 
 

Agoda Partnered with COVID Relief Bangkok

In July 2020, Agoda partnered with the COVID Relief project in Bangkok to distribute essentials to the most vulnerable groups in Bangkok.

Our colleagues in Bangkok joined to help pack relief kits that include masks, soaps, hand sanitizers, and basic food supplies. Agoda is proud to support this effort through our giving and volunteering program.

More details: https://partnerhub.agoda.com/agoda-partnered-with-covid-relief-bangkok/

SUNx Malta & Mekong Tourism to Stage 1st Strong Earth Youth Summit (SEYS) for Asia

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION
BANGKOK, 28 APRIL 2021

SUNx Malta in partnership with the Mekong Tourism Collaboration framework, made up of public sector organization Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) and private sector partnership Destination Mekong will host the first ever Climate Friendly Travel Youth Summit for Asia on Friday 30th April 2021. The ‘Strong Earth Youth Summit’ (SEYS) will include lectures, workshops and other educational activities aimed at highlighting the need for a clean and green post-Covid future for the tourism sector, in accordance with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and 2050 Paris Agreement.

The virtual event, held on 30 April, is one of three global events run in partnership with Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA), British Columbia, Canada; Institute of Tourism Studies, Malta (ITS); and Mekong Tourism.

SEYS will focus on creating awareness of Climate Friendly Travel (CFT) and on fostering ways to encourage changes for a resilient Travel & Tourism future. It aims to promote climate hope in the recovery of the tourism industry through awareness and education, youth empowerment, and engagement and action.

Describing the youth summit, Professor Geoffrey Lipman, President of SUNx Malta, said, “This is not just another of the many Travel & Tourism summits. SEYS is designed for tomorrow’s leaders by tomorrow’s leaders – the 45 students from 30 countries we have on our first ever Climate Friendly Travel Diploma Course with ITS Malta. We charged them with creating an event that would be meaningful and attractive for the “Greta Thunberg crowd”.

“SEYS will identify the core issues for the post–pandemic green and clean tourism sector. Our students are putting together a fast and fun program, with engaging speakers, who will captivate a global youth leadership audience.”

The Asia Summit include a range of speakers from Climate Change and Tourism experts such as Dr Susanne Becken, to the CEOs of Asia Travel specialists Willem Niemeijer of Yaana Ventures and Hamish Keith of EXO Travel followed by Q&A sessions.

Jens Thraenhart, Executive Director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office said:

“We are proud to be partnering with SUNx on this important initiative. Tourism has an essential role to play in the fight against Climate Change and it is through the next generation of change-makers that this transformation will take place. The Mekong is a region heavily dependent on tourism and we want to ensure that its long-term development is based on a Sustainable strategy which places Climate Change at the top of the agenda.”

SEYS will honour the vision and contribution of the late Maurice Strong, a close friend of Lipman, after whom the summit is named. Strong was the architect of the UN Sustainable Development and Climate Framework for half a century, and inspiration for SUNx Malta and its Climate Friendly Travel System.

“SEYS will be the first of an annual testimony to the legacy of Maurice Strong, Champion for the planet, who warned about the Climate Crisis 50 years ago and spent the rest of his life building the UN framework to respond to it,” says Lipman.

SEYS will also launch the Strong Awards to encourage students to profile Breakthrough Innovations in Climate Friendly Travel, together with Les Roches Hospitality School.

 

For more information on SEYS or to register, visit http://www.thesunprogram.com/summit

or use one of the buttons below to register for the individual events:

British Columbia / Americas Thursday 29th 09:00 (Pacific Time)

Asia-Pacific / Mekong Friday 30th April 14:00 (Bangkok)

Malta / Europe Middle – East Africa Friday 30th April (CEST)

 

About SUNx Malta

SUNx Malta is a not for profit, EU based, organisation, partnered with the government of Malta that has created a unique, low cost, system to help Travel & Tourism companies and communities transform to the New Climate Economy. The SUNx Malta “Green & Clean, Climate Friendly Travel System” is Action and Education focused – supporting today’s companies and communities to deliver on their proclaimed ambitions and encouraging tomorrow’s young leaders to prepare for rewarding careers across the sector.

 

About Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO)

The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO), located in Bangkok, was set up with funding from the governments of the six Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) countries – Cambodia, the People’s Republic of China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The MTCO, which operates on annual financial contributions from each GMS country, acts as the secretariat for the GMS Tourism Working Group, comprising of senior officials of the six GMS countries’ National Tourism Organizations, to coordinate and facilitate sustainable tourism development of the GMS, and promotion of the Mekong region as a single travel and tourism destination, in collaboration with the public and private sectors. The MTCO manages its award-winning MekongTourism.org digital platform as a one-stop platform to promote responsible and sustainable tourism in the region, as well as the annual Mekong Tourism Forum, whose hosting is rotated among GMS countries.

Please visit www.MekongTourism.org for more information.

 

About Destination Mekong:

Destination Mekong was created in 2017 to promote the Mekong region, comprising of Cambodia, PR China (Provinces of Guangxi and Yunnan), Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam as a single tourism destination to stimulate responsible and sustainable development and investment, and drive inclusive growth. Supporting the mandate of the regional collaborative tourism framework of the six-member governments of the Greater Mekong Sub-region, Destination Mekong is the regional destination marketing organization, and is owned and funded by the private sector of the travel and tourism industry in the six countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion. Destination Mekong initiates, develops, and operates various programs and initiatives, aligned to the strategic plan of the regional Mekong Tourism collaboration, published by the six member tourism ministries via its secretariat, the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office. Destination Mekong is governed by a Board of Directors, overseen by a Chair, and managed by a staff funded by Destination Mekong membership fees and program revenue streams. Initiatives include the award-winning Mekong Moments and Mekong Mini Movie Festival campaigns, the Mekong Innovations In Sustainable Tourism (MIST) program, the Experience Mekong Collection & Showcases, Mekong Heroes, and Mekong Trends. Destination Mekong also hosts its (Virtual) Destination Mekong Summit, in partnership with MTCO. Destination Mekong manages the Mekong Tourism Advisory Group (MeTAG), and organizes various virtual events in collaboration with MTCO.

 

Please visit www.DestinationMekong.com for more information.



Media Contact

For further press information, images, or to arrange interviews with Professor Lipman, contact Olly Wheatcroft, Program Manager SUNx Malta at: olly@thesunprogram.com.

 

For further press information, images, or to arrange interviews with Jens Thraenhart, contact Nattakorn Asunee Na Ayudhaya, Operations Manager Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office at: ton@mekongtourism.org.

Mekong Trends Snapshot – A Bright Future

As ASEAN pursues greater regional integration and the development
of a single economic community, advancements in the region’s
aviation industry are essential to boost economic connectivity and
tourism. Half the world’s population live within five hours of ASEAN,
making it a natural transportation hub for visiting the region’s sunny
beaches, accessing growing economic opportunities.

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Sampran Riverside

Located on a 70-acre plot along the Tha Chin River,
Sampran Riverside (formerly known as the Rose Garden)
is a family-run eco cultural destination; now famous for its
wide range of sustainable initiatives and its sustainable
business model.

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The Linden Centre

Floating above the pristine rice and canola fields north of
the old town of Dali is a beautiful courtyard compound
built in 1947 by a wealthy entrepreneur from the Bai ethnic
group named Yang Pinxiang. Over seven decades, the
building, which is located in the historic Xizhou Village,
went through many changes, from being privately owned
to becoming public property after the Cultural Revolution
and land reforms, and from serving as an army barracks
and military hospital to housing a kindergarten. In 2001, it
was designated as a national heritage site. The courtyard
finely captures the exquisite architectural style of the Bai
ethnic group that predominantly lives in the area. This
compound is now a boutique hotel managed and run by
an American couple, Brian and Jeanee Linden, who have
injected new life and respect into this important heritage
site.

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