The millennia-old cultures of the Mekong may have adapted to modern-day sports culture (Messi is as big around here as anywhere), but they’ve also preserved their own, thriving traditional sports. Many have remained unchanged for millennia, and therein lies their charm: they’re more than just a good time for everyone, they’re also a window into the local culture, or at least the parts where old ways remain just as relevant today. Photo cr. kunming.cn In Yunnan, China, the Lisu ethnic community treasures its traditional crossbow. Once popular as a hunting implement and the occasional defensive ..read more

Countries in Asia and the Pacific need to work together to bring in more visitors from within and outside the region by adopting bilateral and regional agreements, and offering improved infrastructure and better skills. International tourism is recovering fueled by pent-up demand, but the pace of recovery varies across regions due to differences in how countries built confidence among travelers during and in the aftermath of the pandemic.  Asia and the Pacific lags in tourism recovery compared to Europe and the Americas because of its cautious stance on reopening borders and more restrict ..read more

The city of Pakse will construct new walking streets and night markets in the town center by mid-2023 to attract more domestic and international visitors. The first round of construction comprising walking streets and night markets will be along the main road near Wat Luang temple on the SeDon river’s banks and Souphanouvong Bridge. KPL reports that officials from the Pakse Industry and Commerce Department have visited the walking streets and night markets of Vientiane Capital, Savannakhet, and Luang Prabang to observe and plan for the construction in Pakse. The department expects th ..read more

An ancient Buddhist relic believed to be 700 years old was found floating in the middle of the Mekong River and has drawn a large number of tourists from Laos and Thailand.  The Thaiger reports that people in Nong Khai Province have been riding down the Mekong river in droves to visit the Phra That Lah Nong Pagoda which is believed to be over 700 years old and has resurfaced with the river’s water levels decreasing in the dry season. Many were seen visiting the stupa over the weekend making merits, providing offerings, and asking for blessings. The stupa emerges from time to tim ..read more

Premiering on 23 March 2023, third season of US reality series will showcase island’s luxury and group travel offerings. Bangkok, 21 March, 2023 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is pleased to advise that the famous island resort of Phuket is the location for the third season of ‘The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip’ reality TV series, which will premiere exclusively on the Peacock streaming service on 23 March 2023. Mr. Santi Sawangcharoen, TAT New York Office Director and TAT Toronto Office Acting Director, said “We are pleased to have welcomed to Phuket the cast of The ..read more

The B2B seller of accommodation notes that in Chinese currency (RMB) average room night prices for the Chinese source market for international hotels rose by an unprecedented increase of almost 25% between December and February. young chinese tourist looking through her photos on her camera. Global accommodation bedbank DidaTravel – whose head office is based in China – has noted a considerable increase in international hotel sales for the Chinese outbound source market since the country reopened its borders to international travel. Whilst volumes have not yet recovered to 2019 level ..read more

People of Miao ethnic group welcome tourists from Zhanjiang City of south China’s Guangdong Province at a scenic spot in Rongshui Miao Autonomous County, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on March 19, 2023. More than 600 tourists from Zhanjiang took a special tourist train to Rongshui Miao Autonomous County to experience the charm of ethnic culture. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang) Tourists from Zhanjiang City of south China’s Guangdong Province taste local food in Mengwu Miao Village, Rongshui Miao Autonomous County, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on March 19, 2023. Mor ..read more

The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) is presently experiencing a revival of tourism – but many stakeholders fear that old problems will rear their ugly head again. In the past, rapid and unmanaged tourism growth led to concentrated tourism in a few destinations, overloading popular tourist spots and limiting the growth of other, more marginalized locations and their communities. Fortunately, the region’s governments, local businesses and non-government organizations (NGOs) are taking lessons learned from the past, and applying them to make sure that benefits from tourism and trade are more evenl ..read more

The secret’s out: the low costs and surprisingly high quality of living in certain parts of the Mekong Subregion can give adventurous seniors from the West the golden retirement home they’ve been looking for. Two countries, in particular, offer visas designed specifically for retirees: Cambodia and Thailand. For countries in the Mekong without those visas, certain workaround still exist for retirees. Phnom Penh Cambodia image by paul-szewczyk-xv1A9FsPHuY on UnsplashRetiring in Cambodia Cambodia is ideal for long-term visitors who can get behind the friendly locals, relaxed lifestyle, low cost ..read more

Minister of Tourism Thong Khon is leading a delegation from his ministry and the private sector on a four-day visit to Laos from March 12-15 to boost tourism cooperation between the two countries. (From left) Lao minister of information, culture and tourism Suanesavanh Vignaket and tourism minister Thong Khon. Tourism Ministry In the March 13 statement, tourism ministry said that the visit was made at the instruction of Prime Minister Hun Sen following his two-day visit to Laos in February and based on the memorandum of understanding on tourism cooperation. During his visit, Thong Khon will me ..read more