On 21 October 2021, Lancang-Mekong Tourist Cities Cooperation Alliance Conference and Lancang-Mekong Mayor Forum on Culture and Tourism were held in Chongqing. Mr. Du Jiang, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism of China, Mr. Cai Yunge, Vice Mayor of Chongqing City, Mr. Wang Fukang, Ambassador of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Mrs. Khamphao Ernthavanh, Ambassador of the Lao PDR to China, Mr. U Myo Thant Pe, Ambassador of Myanmar to China, Mr. Sokhemrak Yos, Cambodian Consul-general in Chongqing attended and addressed the conference and forum. Mr. Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism of Cambodia delivered an online congratulatory message for the conference, and Mr. Arthayudh Srisamoot, Ambassador of Thailand to China made an online speech. Ms. Li Yaying, Deputy Director of Education, Culture and Tourism Division of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) attended relevant activities in Chongqing and exchanged views with other delegates on Lancang-Mekong tourism cooperation. The delegates from tourist cities of Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam joined the activities offline or online, and exchanged views with each other on Lancang-Mekong tourism initiatives. 

The theme of Lancang-Mekong Tourist Cities Cooperation Alliance Conference was “Jointly Developing Lancang-Mekong Tourism Industry while Sharing the New Opportunities Brought about by the Land-Sea Corridor Strategy”. The Work Plan on Lancang-Mekong Tourist Cities Cooperation Alliance and its Five-Year Plan of Action were approved by the conference. Chongqing Initiative on Lancang-Mekong Tourism Cooperation was also released during the conference, calling on all relevant parties to join hands in building a new practical operation mechanism of extensive consultation and shared benefits. Following the conference, 3 sub-forums of Lancang-Mekong Mayor Forum on Culture and Tourism were held in parallel, focusing on post-pandemic tourism recovery and safety coordination mechanism between regional cities, Lancang-Mekong cities cooperation and internationalisation of inland cities, and tourism development and rural poverty reduction, respectively. Tourism officer of ACC participated in the first sub-forum and made a detailed presentation on regional tourism safety coordination mechanism as well as ACC’s tourism flagship projects.  

A series of other activities including cultural performance by youths of the Lancang-Mekong countries, Lancang-Mekong culture and tourism photo exhibition and small tourism commodities fair, experiential exhibition of intangible cultural heritage items of Chongqing were also held by the co-organisers of the conference and forum.