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CLMVT try to develop tourism together

Xinhua, June 10, 2016 Adjust font size:

Senior officials of the tourism authorities from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand (CLMVT) addressed a joint press conference here Thursday, highlighting the prospect of tourism cooperation including a "Schengen-style" visa for all ASEAN members.

The five countries are trying to promote tourism together by providing cross border tourists with more convenience, while asking both governments and private sectors to work together.

"We must set a common goal to promote CLMVT as a single destination", Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the tourism authority of Thailand, said, adding that connectivity and linkages between these five countries should be improved.

His emphasis on regional connectivity was echoed by officials from other countries as they respectively talked about airways, high-ways linking them and checkpoints in their borders, while Daw Khin Than Win, deputy director general under the Burmese Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, suggested more low-cost airlines to be encouraged.

"Railway is also important, but due to the different track gauge in CLMVT, we emphasis more on airway now, maybe the railway can play a bigger role in our tourism cooperation in the future," Yuthasak told Xinhua.

In terms of a single visa for all ASEAN countries, officials from these five countries said ASEAN members are discussing the complicated issue and it takes more time while Yuthasak said the single visa might come in two years.

"The single visa is what we expect, but we have to deal with the difference in our regulations first," said Try Chhiv, deputy director of Cambodian Ministry of Tourism.

According to Manisakhone Thammavongxay, director of the Public Relations under the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism of Laos, a single visa means a ASEAN member may face loss of income from Visa fees, and it should be a concrete and clear discussion on regulations of different countries.

Yuthasak said the joint press conference is just a starting point of tourism cooperation among CLMVT countries and more fruits could be seen in the future while Manisakhone said that cross-boder tour packages for tourists visiting these five countries may be available soon.

In 2015, visitor arrivals to Cambodia grew by 6.1 percent to 4.78 million, to Laos, up 13 percent to 4.7 million, to Vietnam up 0.9 percent to 7.9 million, to Myanmar up 52 percent to 4.68 million and to Thailand up 20 percent to 29.8 million.

Chinese tourists plays an important role in all CLMVT countries, and is the largest source of foreign tourists in Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia as Vu Nam, deputy director general of Tourism Marketing Department, National Administration of Tourism of Vietnam, said the Chinese market is very important to his country and also all ASEAN countries.

The joint press conference, under the theme of "CLMVT Link: Prosper Together" is held during the 15th Thailand Travel Mart Plus Amazing Gateway to the Greater Mekong Subregion. Thai deputy premier Thanasak Patimapragorn also said the five countries need to grow together while joining the event on Wednesday. Enditem