‘Tourism, Dynamic Area In Economic Sector’

Rita O’ Sullivan, ADB Country Director Tourism is a dynamic component in the economic sector. In the Greater Mekong Sub Region – Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia – bound together by the Mekong River, the tourism industry is a driving force, says Rita O’ Sullivan, Country Director of the Asian Development Bank in Sri Lanka.
Addressing an interactive evening of the Sri Lanka – Vietnam – Greater Mekong Sub-Region Business Council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Ms. O’ Sullivan said that the Asian Development Bank had assisted sub regional economic cooperation in the Greater Mekong Sub region (GMS) to enhance their economic relations, covering nine priority sectors including tourism.
Tourism is a dynamic sector in the Greater Mekong Sub region and continues to be an important component of the overall GMS Economic Cooperation Program. Over the years and despite the recent global economic slowdown, the tourism industry has remained resilient and continues to serve as a driving force for poverty reduction by creating jobs, generating foreign exchange revenues and enhancing the economic value of natural and cultural heritage assets.  It has served as an instrument for empowering local communities through community-based tourism, livelihood activities and for promoting gender equality by linking women to the tourism economy through direct and indirect employment opportunities.
The ADB has been an active partner of the GMS countries in the collective effort to harness the potential of the tourism industry to contribute to poverty reduction in the GMS.  The nine priority sectors developed in the GMS region included tourism, agriculture, energy, environment, human resource development, investment, telecommunications, transport infrastructure and transport & trade facilitation.
Sri Lanka – Vietnam Business Council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce established in 2010 spread its wings in July 2012 to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand of the Greater Mekong Sub region with the objective of further expansion of trade, investment and tourism between Sri Lanka and the region.
As a result, the name of the Sri Lanka – Vietnam Business Council was supplemented as Sri Lanka – Vietnam Business Council – Greater Mekong Sub Region – Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. The Greater Mekong Sub Region (GMS) is a natural economic area bound together by the Mekong River, covering 2.6 million square kilometers and a combined population of around 326 million people. Bilateral Business Councils, an integral part of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) play a vital role in the promotion of international business. They have a great impact on promoting exports and attracting investments through joint meetings with partner countries.
The Business Councils facilitate business matchmaking events through business promotion missions, trade fairs and product and service catalogue exhibitions as means to promote bilateral business.

Sourced: thesundayleader