New Media Boot Camp' to Boost Mekong Destinations

The New Media Boot Camp has been created so that travel bloggers, journalists and travel industry operators can come up with ideas to implement new media channels and story-telling through engaging content, and use emerging technologies to promote the Mekong region.The Boot Camp will be hosted by Jens Thraenhart, award-winning global e-tourism expert, blogger and president of Dragon Trail.

Thraenhart says the boot camp has three broad objectives: 1) to bring together travel bloggers in the Mekong region, share best practices, learn, and network 2) to inform international travel bloggers -- consumer and trade - about the Mekong subregion, to learn about its opportunities and challenges 3) to educate travel suppliers, from hotels, travel agents and attractions how to leverage social media marketing and web 2.0 technologies.

"The future of destination marketing is online," says Thraenhart. "Especially in the Mekong region, which attracts a younger, tech-savvy demographic. They all want to read and share travel advice online before, during and after their trip. The boot camp will help media and the travel industry engage meaningfully with such travellers."

Thraenhart says that each session will be conducted voluntarily by bloggers. "We will cover issues such as dealing with positive and negative hotel reviews, how to integrate web 2.0 technologies into travel websites, how to measure social media and digital marketing campaigns, new media pitfalls and opportunities, and how to start a successful blog."

The New Media Boot Camp will take place at La Folie Lodge, Dong Daeng Island in the Mekong River, a one-hour journey from the Mekong Tourism Forum in Pakse.Following the Boot Camp in the morning of 26 May, attendees have lunch and then will be taken to the ancient Vat Phou Temple Complex. Later the group will board a private Mekong River sunset cruise aboard the Vat Phou Boat and sail back to Pakse.

Travel industry participants and media can register for the New Media Boot Camp at a special rate of US$100, which includes Boot Camp, lunch, Vat Phou visit and sunset cruise back to Pakse. Space for the Boot Camp at is limited to just 50 people. For more information, or to register, email: [email protected]. Tel: (+66) 86 025 5585.A special earlybird Mekong Tourism Forum registration fee of US$200 is available until 30 April. Register here. From 1 May the registration fee becomes US$300.

Note to journalists

Media participants may also apply to join one of several pre-event overland familiarisation trips that will travel cross-border from points in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam to reach the Boot Camp (26 May) and the Mekong Tourism Forum (27-28 May). Media registration for the Forum is open here.

About the Mekong Tourism Forum

The Mekong Tourism Forum provides a cooperative platform for stakeholders in the tourism industry to discuss the development, marketing and promotion of travel to, from and within the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS). It is an inclusive, interactive and results-oriented opportunity aiming to encourage public and private sector participants to work together to represent the GMS as a single destination.

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) organized the first Mekong Tourism Forum in 1996 and led it for 10 consecutive years. The hosting of this influential annual event rotated among destinations within the GMS until 2005, and in the years following private sector initiated events continued to work towards the Forum's goals. The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office successfully revived the Forum in 2010.

About the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office

The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) is an intergovernmental body uniting the national tourism organizations (NTOs) of the six-nation Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS). It is tasked with fostering the sustainable development and promotion of travel within the region, and marketing the GMS as a single destination under the 'Mekong Tourism' brand. Visit www.MekongTourism.org.

Source = nationmultimedia