Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Viet Nam should consider making the region a gateway and connection point to the Greater Mekong Delta Sub-region (GMS), Nguyen Phong Quang, deputy chief of Viet Nam's Southwest Steering Committee, told the International Tourism Investment Promotion Conference "Four Countries – One Destination" 2011.
It could serve as a link in the journey to discover the legendary Mekong River and between the countries' traditional cultures, he said.
The four nations' tourism ministers should consider jointly organising a culture-tourism festival in the Mekong Delta in 2013 to exploit their potential, he added.
A programme titled "Greater Mekong Subregion Sustainable Tourism Development" is already under way in the region to boost tourism in the GMS countries by upgrading infrastructure and strengthen tourism ties between them.
The GMS groups Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Yunnan Province of China.
The conference was also attended by Cambodian Minister of Tourism Thong Khon, Lao Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Bosengkham Vongdala, Myanmar Minister of Hotels and Tourism Tint Hsan, Vietnamese Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh, and HCM City chairman Le Hoang Quan.
"The conference reveals the determination of the participant countries to intensify co-operation," Anh said in his opening speech.
Tourism was a crucial factor in earning foreign exchange, creating jobs, increasing incomes, and eliminating hunger and poverty.
But the tourism industry in the four countries faced many difficulties, including low economic growth, uneven development of tourism infrastructure, and shortage of human resources.
Last year the countries received around 10.9 million international visitors, 25 per cent up year-on-year.
Viet Nam accounted for 5.05 million of them, a 34.8 per cent rise, earning VND96 trillion (US$4.8 billion).
The country planned to invest $94.2 billion to develop 39 national resorts, 30 national destinations, and 10 tourism cities in the next few years.
Thong Khon said: "Cambodia needs more investment in hotels, resorts and entertainment venues. So please consider investing in our country.
"We want to have tourism areas like Vinpearl Land in Nha Trang."
It was an attractive model with a telpher system and sports and entertainment areas, he said.
Speaking to Tuoi Tre (the Youth) newspaper before the conference, he said more than 360,000 Vietnamese had visited Cambodia in the first seven months of this year.
The full-year figure would be around 550,000 compared to 470,000 last year.
Last year Cambodia received 2.5 million international tourists, with Vietnamese being the most numerous, followed by Koreans, Chinese and Japanese.
"The number will rise in the next two years when the Neak Loeung Bridge is completed."
The Bokor Mountain tourism area in Kampot Province would open next January, and hoped to attract tourists from Viet Nam's Mekong Delta provinces.
"Four other provinces and cities of Kep, Kampot, Sihanoukville and Koh Kong will also strengthen ties with the Mekong Delta provinces to attract more tourists."
Lao minister Bosengkham Vongdara said the four countries had to resolve certain problems to strengthen their joint tourism efforts.
"Visa and customs clearances should be simplified," he said.
The tourism industry was planning to petition the Government to simplify paperwork for foreign investment in the non-smoke sector.
Laos had built and upgraded roads and hotels in preparation for its tourism year next year but it needed more tourism and entertainment areas.
"I hope foreign investors realise Laos's tourism potential and investment opportunities after the conference."
Myanmar is a newcomer to the regional tourism alliance.
Tint Hsai said his country had to do much to attract international tourists since it lacked experience.
It planned to simplify procedures so that tourists could get visas at the border and offer incentives to investors to build hotels.
"Myanmar is considering many policies to attract foreign investments in tourism since our country has many famous and beautiful attractions.
"Distinguished destinations cannot stand alone. They need grouping and co-operation."
Two seminars were held during the conference: attracting investment in entertainment-recreation complexes and luxury resorts and hotels in the four countries and in tourism infrastructure in the Mekong Delta in Viet Nam.
The conference was organised by the International Co-operation Department, Southwest Steering Committee, Tuoi tre, the National University's Foreign Investment Research Centre, and the ADB.
It was held under the aegis of the four-day International Travel Exhibition HCM City 2011 which opens today at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Centre.
VNS
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