Hundreds of tourism leaders from across the region are expected to gather in Phnom Penh next week for the 2022 Destination Mekong Summit (DMS), under the theme of “Together – Smarter – Stronger”.

With the aim of boosting post-pandemic tourism recovery in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS), private regional tourism board, Destination Mekong, will host the third edition of its summit on December 14 to 15, both in the capital’s Trellion and Aquation parks on Koh Pich, as well as online.

Catherine Germier-Hamel, CEO of Destination Mekong, said in a press release, “This 2022 DMS comes at a perfect time when we still have the chance to take stock of the lessons learnt in the past few years, and restart, rethink, and rebalance tourism so that it can truly contribute to inclusive local development and empowerment in the region.”

The two-day journey will celebrate creativity, diversity and inclusivity, and will see 40 speakers and prominent representatives of the public and private sectors involved in travel, tourism and hospitality across GMS take to the stage for eight thematic panel sessions.

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Catherine Germier-Hamel, CEO of Destination Mekong

Three of the sessions are being led by supporting partners. The World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) is heading a discussion on ‘Championing the GMS as a sustainable tourism destination’; Child Protection in Travel and Tourism (ECPAT) International will hold a session on ‘Practicing social responsibility and inclusiveness in tourism’; and Beyond Retail Business (BRB) will discuss ‘Catching the value of local culture, know-how and creativity’.

Other panel sessions will address a variety of subjects, such as innovative capacity-building, sustainable food and beverage businesses and experiences, marketing and branding for SMEs, social enterprises and start-ups in tourism, and opportunities and threats for tourism recovery in the GMS.

“Global travel and tourism are making a comeback, but it is important that we don’t revert to old behaviours," said Jedsada Taweekan, head of WWF-Greater Mekong's Illegal Wildlife Trade program. “The way forward must be green and sustainable, and consider the needs of wildlife and the environment in addition to the needs of travellers. Therefore, working with the travel and tourism sector to encourage tourists to have responsible tourism experiences is a small but effective way to promote positive change in tourist behaviour.”

On day two of the summit, participants can attend a series of workshops that include the training of tour guides as wildlife champions and agents for positive changes by WWF; sustainable tourism recovery with child protection in focus by ECPAT International; storytelling techniques by the Centre for Communication and Information Literacy; and digital marketing for tourism businesses by Destination Mekong.

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“The travel and tourism industry has come in for much criticism in recent years, particularly in terms of its environmental impact, this summit allows us to convey the positive role the industry can play, as well as the necessity to promote social and economic sustainability if we are to achieve our environmental sustainability goals,” said Mark Jackson, Chair of the Executive Board of Destination Mekong.

Three major networking events will also take place in the form of a cocktail reception on the first day and a business matchmaking breakfast and garden party on the second day.

For registration and more details, visit www.destinationmekong.com/dms22.