In a landmark collaboration, Vietnam, Lao PDR, and Cambodia have joined forces to form a unique travel package titled ‘Three Countries, One Destination’. This initiative, spearheaded by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, aims to merge the Mekong River neighboring countries into a singular, appealing travel destination for global tourists. This move is expected to enhance tourism flow and strengthen sub-regional competitiveness in the sector.
During a recent meeting with Nguyen Huy Tang, the Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia, Cambodian Minister of Tourism Sok Soken praised the rapid recovery of Vietnam’s tourism industry. Vietnam’s remarkable rebound attracted over 25 million international tourists in 2023 alone. Minister Soken underscored the importance of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed last year between Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST) and Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism (MoT). This agreement focuses on mutual cooperation to develop the tourism sectors of both countries.
The MoU led to the establishment of a tourism working group and a series of promotional activities slated for the period from 2024 to 2028. This collaboration, strongly supported by the Cambodian and Vietnamese tourism ministers, paved the way for the innovative ‘Three Countries, One Destination’ project.
Ambassador Tang, responding in Khmer, expressed his gratitude to the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) for their collaborative efforts in various sectors, including tourism, culture, and sports. This partnership was instrumental in Cambodia’s successful hosting of the Southeast Asian Games in May 2023.
Minister Soken also highlighted the RGC’s efforts to convene leaders from nations emerging from the Covid-19 crisis to share experiences and strategies for promoting regional and Mekong area tourism. He noted Vietnam’s significant contribution to the revival of Cambodia’s tourism sector, which saw a dramatic increase in foreign tourists, including a significant number from Vietnam.
The ‘Three Countries, One Destination’ initiative originated during Prime Minister Hun Manet’s participation in the 78th UN General Assembly. A meeting with Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chính and Lao PDR’s Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone laid the groundwork for this collaborative project.
Further discussions at the 50th Japan-ASEAN Summit in Tokyo reinforced the commitment to the initiative and the Cambodia-Lao PDR-Vietnam (CLV) Development Triangle, focusing on peace, security, stability, socioeconomic development, and poverty alleviation.
Recently, Minister Soken and Lao PDR Ambassador Baukeo Phumvongsay discussed a joint action plan for ‘Three Countries, One Destination’ and the potential of organizing a trilateral ministerial meeting during the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2024 in Vientiane, Laos. The theme for ATF 2024, ‘Quality and Responsible Tourism – Sustaining ASEAN Future’, aims to fortify collaboration, enhance tourism products, attract more international tourists, and contribute to the sustainability of the tourism industry in the region.
Source: Khmer Times
