On 12 September 2022, the Mekong Institute held the Webinar on Promoting Resilient and Sustainable Tourism for Post-COVID-19 Recovery in the Lancang-Mekong countries. Representatives from tourism industry, institutes, media of Lancang-Mekong countries and related international organisations attended the webinar to share experiences and practices of tourism recovery and promote tourism cooperation as well as post-pandemic revitalisation in this area. Mr. Chen Dehai, Secretary General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), was invited to deliver a video message to the webinar.

Secretary-General Chen Dehai stated that tourism cooperation is an important field of the Lancang-Mekong collaboration. With the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the tourism industry in this region will welcome more development opportunities. The year 2022 marks the China-ASEAN Year of Sustainable Development Cooperation and the two sides should pay more attention to promoting sustainable development and inclusive growth of tourism in the process of recovery. Only when the recovery is sustainable might the tourism economy be more resilient to future challenges. He also expressed the wish of ACC on working closely with all parties to build a brand of Lancang-Mekong tourism and promote its tourism cooperation.

Experts and scholars from the Mekong Tourism Coordination Office, the China Tourism Academy, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Pacific Asia Travel Association, the Wildlife Conservation Society Thailand and the United Nation World Tourism Organization participated in this webinar. Speeches were delivered featuring tourism policies, rural cultural tourism construction, animal protection and sustainable tourism, the application of digital technology and so on. This webinar shared the strategies of the Lancang-Mekong countries for reducing the risks of tourism recovery, exchanged views and suggestions for promoting sustainable tourism innovation and coordinating development among the Lancang-Mekong countries.

The Mekong Institute is an inter-governmental international organisation with board members from China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It aims to promote the development of human resources as well as regional cooperation and integration in the region. After this webinar, it will hold an online training on “Promoting Resilient and Sustainable Tourism for post-COVID-19 recovery in the Lancang-Mekong Countries” on 2022 September 12-23.