HANOI – Mekong Tourism is stepping up its marketing efforts with the launch of a new consumer website which it hopes will drive new business to the six countries of the Greater Mekong Sub-Region.
Mason Florence, newly-appointed executive director of Mekong Tourism, said the focus of fresh marketing efforts would be to attract a higher-spending demographic to the region, and to encourage visitors to travel beyond the hot spots of Angkor Wat, Luang Prabang and the Vietnamese cities of Hanoi and Saigon.
“We want to get the Mekong brand onto the world stage,†said Florence.†We want to get visitors traveling more into the rural areas – by rail, river or water buffalo if necessary – where they will be boosting pro-poor, community-based tourism projects.â€
The new website – www.exploremekong.org – will include a booking engine featuring accommodation currently not online. The content will be made available to other operators, including travel agents and major wholesalers.
The site will also include giveaways, lucky draws and a photo competition.
Mekong Tourism also plans to revive the Mekong Tourism Forum in 2009.
The organisation receives on an annual operating budget of US$90,000 and Florence will seek additional support from the private sector.
“If we’re going to be successful, we need the help of very big sponsors so we are talking to companies such as Visa International, Nikon and Coca Cola,†he added.
