56th Meeting of GMS Tourism Working Group convenes in Ninh Binh

Hosted by the Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT), the event brought together around 70 international delegates representing the national tourism organisations of the GMS countries, the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO), the Asian Development Bank, and international partner organisations such as the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), the ASEAN Secretariat, and tourism enterprises.

Chaired by VNAT Deputy Director General Nguyen Thi Hoa Mai, the sessions focused on strategic directions for tourism cooperation among Greater Mekong Subregion countries.

Delegates exchanged views on the tourism outlook for 2025 and forecasts for 2026; received updates on MTCO activities; and presented national reports on tourism recovery, market developments, and policies supporting the industry.

Discussions also centred on progress with the GMS Tourism Marketing Action Plan 2026 2030 a key document for implementing the GMS Tourism Strategy 2030 and advancing multi-country marketing collaboration across the subregion.

The plan is structured around four principal pillars: developing and promoting cross-border tourism routes; advancing sustainable and responsible tourism experiences; enhancing the sharing of data, statistics, and market intelligence; and strengthening the role of the Mekong Tourism Forum as a public private partnership platform.

Delegates further contributed proposals for joint promotional activities, mechanisms for business coordination, and resource mobilisation. These inputs will provide an important foundation for the MTCO to finalise the plan, which is expected to be adopted at the Mekong Tourism Forum in 2026.

In her remarks, VNAT Deputy Director General Nguyen Thi Hoa Mai emphasised that the GMS TWG-56 and MTCO sessions represent a crucial preparatory step towards developing a new comprehensive marketing plan aligned with the region’s strong recovery momentum.

She urged member countries to maintain close coordination with the MTCO to complete the document on schedule, thereby enhancing the GMS’s visibility on the global tourism map and positioning it as a dynamic, competitive, and sustainable destination.