Thailand has just given the go-signal in joining Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar in a travel campaign promoting the 5 countries as a single destination to gain a competitive edge in attracting tourists to the region. The campaign, named “Five Nations - One Destination,” will be launched at the International Travel Expo in HCMC this coming September.   To take place at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center in District 7, close to 300 travel operators are expected to participate.

It is organized by the city’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Vietnam National Trade Fair & Advertising Company (Vinaxed) and exhibition organizer Informa under the instruction of the tourism ministry and the city’s government.   The event is an incorporation of several exhibitions, meetings between tour sellers and buyers, seminars and conferences of tourism ministers of the five countries in the Mekong Sub-region along with Vietnam-Russia tourism cooperation and development conference. But as this is the first time Thailand is joining the four other countries previously promoting “Four Nations - One Destination”, the campaign will be the highlight of the entire Expo.

  Late 2012, Thailand and Cambodia had signed an agreement called ACMECS, framing a common visa policy for visitors from 35 nations and territories. The agreement allows tourists to apply for a visa at one of the embassies, consulates and border customs offices in Thailand or Cambodia to go to the other country.   In the same note, this move of the HCMC Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism aims for a visa-free policy involving the 5 nations in order to draw foreign travels to the region. The common visa policy will be very attractive to tourists since it allows them to travel across these five countries with a single application. They are targeting customers from potential visitor-generating markets like the Middle East, the United States and Russia. Up to six international air carriers have vowed cooperation with the effort and will be catering the inflow of travels as the policy is in place.

  Tourism ministers from the 5 countries is set to discuss the policies in line with the campaign and other moves to boost the joint tourism programs and be able to woo international visitors in the region. A delegation of the HCMC tourism authorities is scheduled to go Thailand and discuss steps on how they will proceed.