Finalists for the 2021 Experience Mekong Showcases announced

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Finalists for the 2021 Experience Mekong Showcases announced
Public Voting is open to support small responsible businesses during these challenging times

Bangkok, July 27th, 2021:  The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office is announcing the 15 Finalists of the Experience Mekong Showcases 2021 from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand Viet Nam, as well as Guangxi and Yunnan in PR China.  Finalists from Myanmar this year will be judged differently via an industry panel made up of relevant Mekong Tourism Advisory Group members.  Three thousand eligible votes determined three Experience Mekong Collection members from each of the five participating countries this year for the next round of voting for this prestigious recognition. Now open for a public vote until August 31st, the six Experience Mekong Showcases will be announced at the 2021 Destination Mekong Summit later on this year. To cast your vote, please visit https://www.destinationmekong.com/experience-mekong-showcases2021-voting/

The 15 finalists – 3 from each of 5 member countries of the Mekong Region are:

Note: Myanmar businesses will be judged separately by an expert panel made up of members of the Mekong Tourism Advisory Group (MeTAG).

The Experience Mekong Collection was created four years ago to recognize and encourage sustainable and responsible tourism development in the Greater Mekong Subregion.  

To be appointed as a member of the Experience Mekong Collection, all small travel businesses in the Mekong Region need to fulfill the following requirements:

  1. Make a significant social impact on its community
  2. Provide an authentically local experience positioning the GMS as a responsible, inclusive, and experiential tourism destination.
  3. Have an innovative concept and sustainable business model.

Members of the Mekong Tourism Advisory Group (MeTAG) selected the 60 shortlisted Experience Mekong Collection (EMC) member businesses – twelve from five member countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion from the 300+ members of the Experience Mekong Collection.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the currently active businesses – defined as businesses in communication with us, which is a requirement to be included in the Experience Mekong Showcases program – are currently at nearly 150 businesses.

“Alliances like the Experience Mekong Collection are more important than ever, especially in crises such as during the COVID-19 pandemic, to strengthen resilience both at the destination level, as well as for the individual businesses themselves, via sharing of best practices, networking, cross-promotional activities, and creating operational efficiencies”, says Mr. Jens Thraenhart, outgoing Executive Director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office, and initiator of the Experience Mekong Collection, operated as part of the private-sector-led regional tourism board Destination Mekong. “I am convinced that the Experience Mekong Collection will help accelerate tourism recovery in the region, as well as protect and conserve these locally authentic experiences, which are the treasure trove of the Mekong region.”

“In recognizing the most innovative best practice businesses as the Experience Mekong Showcases, this sets several benchmarks to further improve travel experiences in the Greater Mekong Subregion. As consumer trends and travel behaviors are changing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we hope this inspires other operators of any size to become involved in responsible and inclusive tourism,” said Mr. Willem Niemeijer, Founder & CEO of Yaana Ventures and current interim Chairman of Destination Mekong.

The 2018 Experience Mekong Collection Showcases included Phare Cambodian Circus (Cambodia), Longji Rice Terraces Guangxi (PR China), Ock Pop Tok (Lao PDR), Inle Heritage Place (Myanmar), Local Alike (Thailand), and Koto (Viet Nam). The 2019 Experience Mekong Collection Showcases included Soksabike (Cambodia), Linden Centre (PR China), Elephant Conservation Centre (Lao PDR), Hla Day (Myanmar), Sampran Riverside (Thailand), and Streets International (Viet Nam). The 2020 Experience Mekong Collection showcase include the Elephant Valley Project (Cambodia), Yangshuo Mountain Retreat (PR China), Laos Buffalo Dairy (Lao PDR), Living Irravaddy Dolphin Project (Myanmar), The Family Tree (Thailand), and Journey of the Senses (Viet Nam). Please see: https://www.destinationmekong.com/initiatives/experience-mekong-showcases/

All members of the Experience Mekong Collection get exposure via Mekong Tourism and Destination Mekong, including MekongTourism.org, DestinationMekong.com, ExperienceMekong.com, and the dedicated Experience Mekong Collection Facebook and Instagram accounts. Experience Mekong Collection members also have priority access to marketing campaigns and have their own dedicated online member-only community to connect with each other.

To help struggling members of the Experience Mekong Collection survive these challenging times during the COVID-19 pandemic, a support page has been created at https://www.destinationmekong.com/projects/support-experience-mekong-collection-members/ to list businesses asking for donations or selling gift certificates. Please support these small businesses by visiting: For more information about the Experience Mekong Collection and its members, please visit www.experiencemekongcollection.com.

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Support us by publishing the voting banner:

Link to: https://www.destinationmekong.com/experience-mekong-showcases2021-voting/

 

About the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office:

The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO), located in Bangkok, and hosted by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand, 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, located in Phnom Penh, and hosted by the Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia, to promote the Lancang-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. Aligned to the mandate of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office, the tourism secretariat of the six-member governments of the Greater Mekong Sub-region, Destination Mekong executes targeted projects and initiatives, including Mekong Moments, Mekong Mini Movie Festival, Mekong Innovations in Sustainable Tourism (MIST), Experience Mekong Collection, Mekong Heroes, and Mekong Trends, the Destination Mekong Summit, with feedback from the Mekong Tourism Advisory Group (MeTAG).  

More information at: www.DestinationMekong.com

TERMS OF REFERENCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – MEKONG TOURISM COORDINATING OFFICE (MTCO)

 

TERMS OF REFERENCE

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – MEKONG TOURISM COORDINATING OFFICE (MTCO)

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Bangkok-based Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) seeks an Executive Director to lead overall management of the organization and initiate/coordinate regional public and private tourism marketing and development initiatives in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). For more information about MTCO visit www.mekongtourism.org.

Applications will be accepted by email from all qualified candidates during 7 June to 30 June 2021 (deadline, 17:00 Bangkok time).  All nationalities of all genders will be considered. GMS citizens (Cambodia, PR China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam) and women are especially encouraged to apply. The position is a two-year fixed term appointment extendable for an additional two years.

 

BACKGROUND

Established in 2006, MTCO is the Secretariat of the GMS Tourism Working Group (TWG), principally comprising the National Tourism Organizations of Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam; and the People’s Republic of China, representing Yunnan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

MTCO is hosted by Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports and is staffed by a full-time Executive Director and Operations Manager. The MTCO Executive Director reports to the MTCO Board, made up of senior tourism officials representing each of the six GMS-member countries. The TWG meets twice-yearly, with participation customarily up to Director General-level or equivalent. As of May 2021, the TWG has met 46 times, rotating among each GMS country. MTCO’s annual workplans align with the GMS  Tourism Sector StrategyGMS Tourism Marketing Strategy and Action Plan, and other relevant public and private strategic planning documents.

 

JOB OBJECTIVES

 

The Executive Director’s primary objective is to provide specialized knowledge to support secretariat functions of the GMS TWG and MTCO Board, including organizing TWG/MTCO Board meetings and the annual Mekong Tourism Forum. The secondary objective is to coordinate and facilitate the implementation of GMS tourism sector strategies, GMS tourism marketing and communications plans, and other regional tourism initiatives as directed by the MTCO Board.

 

TASKS

 

The MTCO Executive Director shall undertake the following tasks under the supervision of the MTCO Board and in close cooperation with the GMS TWG:

MTCO Administration

  • Provide secretarial and administrative support to the GMS Tourism Working Group and MTCO Board of Directors.
  • Archive documents to the cloud and make use of digital tools, services, and platforms to cost efficiently manage a paper-less and “green” office, and manage virtual meetings
  • Frequently liaise with MTCO Board members and other GMS tourism officials.
  • Supervise the MTCO Operations Manager and other MTCO employees, interns, consultants, and advisors.
  • Closely coordinate with officials of Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports regarding day-to-day MTCO administrative matters (e.g., office arrangements and hardware, telephone lines, Internet service, etc.).
  • Oversee the management of MTCO finances. Prepare quarterly and annual financial reports in accordance with internationally accepted accounting standards. Arrange an annual external audit of MTCO’s financial statements.
  • Represent the MTCO at TWG meetings, and at relevant travel trade events, and other tourism-related meetings and conferences.
  • Prepare GMS TWG/MTCO Board Meeting summary of proceedings and reports on other meetings and events organized by the GMS TWG/MTCO.
  • Prepare technical reports on events organized by the TWG/MTCO.

Technical & Stakeholder Coordination

  • Coordinate with GMS National Tourism Organizations and public and private destination marketing/management organizations to market and promote the GMS as a single destination, following the GMS tourism marketing plan and GMS TWG’s annual work plan.
  • Coordinate with GMS National Tourism Organizations and other public and private development partners to identify resources to support the implementation of priority projects in the GMS Tourism Sector Strategy, with emphasis on mobilizing assistance for secondary destinations.
  • Develop and maintain relationships with local, regional, and international travel media organization and individuals to support MTCO initiatives.
  • Develop and maintain strong relationships with national, regional and international organizations, including UNWTO, WTTC, PATA, and ASEAN Centres, to promote MTCO initiatives, solicit investment, and seek support and cooperation.
  • Engage with academic institutions, including teachers/professors and students, especially in the fields of tourism planning, management, and promotion to support MTCO initiatives.
  • Supervise maintenance of the MTCO website and social media accounts, including security and content management; upload relevant documents to the online library, dissemination of announcements, travel advisories/crisis communications, social media engagement, newsletters, and press releases.
  • Coordinate and support the respective host countries to organize the annual Mekong Tourism Forum and other GMS tourism knowledge events. Organize virtual events, and online webinars to communicate with shareholders and public and private sector stakeholders.
  • Supervise and maintain MTCO databases (e.g., contacts database, publications inventory, image library, and all other electronic archives).

 

FIRST YEAR PRIORITIES

Post Coronavirus Pandemic Recovery: Tourism continues to be one of the sectors hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Executive Director will facilitate implementation of the Mekong Tourism Recovery Communications plan in cooperation with MTCO’s public and private partners.

 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

University degree in tourism, marketing, or related specialized fields, preferably with a postgraduate degree.

Minimum of 5-years of relevant experience in tourism marketing and strategic planning/development, preferably in the Greater Mekong Subregion.

At least 3-years of relevant experience managing digital tourism assets. Demonstrated advanced social media and website development capabilities.

At least 3-years of relevant experience working with one or more national tourism organizations in the GMS.

 

DESIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES  

  • You have graduated from a recognized university or college, ideally with a master’s degree in Tourism and Marketing, Marketing, Business Administration, or relate field.
  • You thrive working in the tourism industry with passion and a high level of understanding of the impact of tourism in the Greater Mekong Subregion.
  • You have extensive experience supporting marketing campaigns, including digital social media, and web-based marketing, digital innovations, as well as expertise in the key tourism source markets of the GMS member countries.
  • You have a fair understanding of the issues facing small businesses, start-ups, and entrepreneurs, and are familiar with innovation ecosystems and platforms.
  • You are an expert user of Microsoft Office and Adobe products; and WordPress to publish website content, and post content on social media platform. You are able to design social media graphics and optimize and edit photos and videos for the web.
  • You are familiar with tourism statistics and analytics, especially in GMS and ASEAN countries.
  • You have experience interfacing with political leadership and tourism government officials in the GMS and/or ASEAN.
  • You have experience managing staff and interns.
  • You are a diplomatic communicator that naturally enjoys engaging with diverse stakeholders, including government, development partners, academia, civil society, private sector travel companies, as well as media including trade and consumer media.
  • You have experience managing complex projects and events.
  • You are familiar with the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office, its mandate, and activities.
  • You have experience in handling official documents, and secretarial administration.
  • You recognize that flexible work hours are required, including evenings and weekends and some travel will be required for meetings, conferences and events.
  • You are familiar with the current COVID-19 situation and recovery plans in the GMS countries.
  • You bring relationships, networks and new fresh ideas from your previous professional engagements to the position which helps to evolve and adapt the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office to new challenges and situations.

 

REPORTING

The MTCO Executive Director shall report to the MTCO Board. Regular reports to be provided to the Board include but are not limited to: (i) MTCOs annual audited financial statements; (ii) brief quarterly and annual reports on MTCO operations and activities, in a format agreed with the MTCO Board; (iii) and annual report on the GMS TWG Workplan, in a format agreed with the MTCO Board.

 

TIMING

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an online interview with the MTCO Board in August 2021. The successful candidate is expected to be appointed by mid-September 2021.

 

EMPLOYMENT STATUS

The successful candidate will be engaged as an independent consultant under a fixed-term two-year contract, extendable for an additional two years contingent on a performance evaluation by the MTCO Board prior to expiry of the initial two-year appointment. The total tenure is limited to two terms. The MTCO Executive Director is not an employee of any of the six governments and is responsible for paying his/her own tax obligations and insurance costs.

 

REMUNERATION

The MTCO Executive Director shall receive a monthly consulting fee of USD 4,000, plus work-related travel expenses.

 

APPLICATION PROCESS

All interested candidates are required to submit the following by email before 30 June 2021 to info@mekongtourism.org with copy to jens@tourismmekong.org:

  • a signed expression of interest, detailing the applicant’s suitability for the position
  • a CV (not longer than 5 pages) summarizing qualifications, skills, and experience relevant to the position.
  • Three references (ideally combination of supervisor, peer, subordinate, partner/client).

 

The Executive Director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office will be selected by the MTCO Board, which is made up of senior government officials from the six member countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion.

 

Only candidates shortlisted for an interview will be contacted.

Virtual Destination Mekong Summit provides actionable insights for travel and tourism industry during COVID-19

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION

DESTINATION MEKONG SUMMIT

Virtual Destination Mekong Summit provides actionable insights for travel and tourism industry during COVID-19

Session videos now available online to watch for free

Bangkok, September 8, 2020: The 1st Destination Mekong Summit was organized virtually by UNWTO Affiliate Member Strategies as a lead partner of Destination Mekong in partnership with the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office on 25 August 2020. Nearly 1,500 registered attendees from over 100 countries joined the virtual conference on Zoom with an additional 500 following the live stream on YouTube and the event website.

“With the topic “Balanced Tourism Recovery for a Better Future”, the Summit had the objective to answer burning questions, offer actionable suggestions on how to survive these challenging times, and best prepare for an accelerated recovery.”, explained Mr. Jens Thraenhart, Executive Director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office, and chair of the summit.  Speakers from the public and private sectors included Tourism Ministers and CEOs from travel companies, academia, the media, and NGOs, as well as members of the Mekong Tourism Advisory Group (MeTAG).

With a condensed content concept, DMS was structured in twelve short chapters starting with insights about “The Disruption” by Dr. Simon Hudson, from the University of South Carolina, author of the upcoming book “COVID-19 & Travel”. The former Ministers of Tourism of Thailand and Myanmar, H.E. Mr. Weerasak Kowsurat and H.E. Mr. Htay Aung respectively, engaged in a discussion about learnings from past crisis, moderated by Mr. Xu Jing, former Director of Asia Pacific of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). This discussion was followed by a panel of senior government officials moderated by Mr. Steven Schipani of the Asian Development Bank, including Dr. Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism of Cambodia,  Dr. Sieu Ha Van, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, and Mr. Sounh Manivong, Director General of the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism of Lao PDR. Learnings about domestic tourism opening in China by representatives from the private sector and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of PR China, as well as recommendations about communications by Deputy Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Mr. Tanes Petsuwan and Chief Commercial Officer of Minor Hotels, Mr. Michael Marshall provided action-oriented insights. The following chapters looked into recovery efforts and opportunities for governments, key source markets with a focus on Japan by JTB and China by Dragon Trail, the hotel and aviation sectors as key industry pillars by IATA and STR respectively, and the impact on sustainability moderated by GSTC. Two sessions were conducted in partnership with Horwath HTL and presented key takeaways for businesses.

The final chapters addressed how collaboration can help businesses in the recovery discussing strategies with Accor and Yaana Ventures, as well as a look at the future with Dr. Ian Yeoman, author of “Tourism Futures” from the Victoria University of Wellington.

A summary chapter was lead by Prof. Geoffrey Lipman from The SunX Program with global and regional tourism leaders including H.E. Ms. Gloria Guevera, CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), H.E. Ms. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, former Minister of Tourism and sports of Thailand, H.E. Dr. Taleb Rifai, former Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and Dr. Mario Hardy, CEO of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). The panel debated the need for balanced tourism recovery and the integration of climate change as an existential threat post COVID-19.

The Virtual Destination Mekong Summit was also the launch-pad of the Mekong Memories campaign and Mekong Deals platform, as well as the announcement of the 2020 Experience Mekong Showcases and the 1st Mekong Hero recognition to Ms. Potjana Suansri, founder of the Thailand Community-based Tourism Institute.

The Virtual Destination Mekong Summit was co-emceed by Dr. Jutamas Wisangsing, former chair of PATA Thailand, and Mr. Jens Thraenhart, out of a pop-up studio at co-working space Gaysorn Village in Bangkok, Thailand.

Details of the event, as well as recordings of the sessions, can be found at https://www.destinationmekong.com/dms2020/.

About the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office:


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 Lancang-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. Endorsed by the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office and aligned with the mandate of the regional collaborative tourism framework of the six-member governments of the Greater Mekong Sub-region, Destination Mekong executes targeted projects and initiatives, including Mekong Moments, Mekong Mini Movie Festival, Mekong Innovative Startups in Tourism (MIST), Experience Mekong Collection, Mekong Heroes, and Mekong Trends, with feedback from the Mekong Tourism Advisory Group (MeTAG) and via public-private partnership investment structure, led by UNWTO Affiliate Member Chameleon Strategies.

More information at: www.DestinationMekong.com

 

 

Case Study Longji Rice Terraces

The Longji rice terraces have a long history since the beginning of the construction during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and it was completed in the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), with a constructing history of over 800 years. The fascinating rice terraces cover 66 square kilometres of the Longsheng county’s mountain, with the altitude from 300 meters to 1100 metres (Travel China Guide, n.d.). Longji rice terraces have been listed as one of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS).

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