July 15, 2026
PHNOM PENH – Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam have discussed the possible introduction of a joint tourism package and shared action plan aimed at enhancing the appeal of the former Indochina region and encouraging more travel among the citizens of the three countries, as well as international visitors.
The discussion occured as senior tourism officials from the three countries attended the 64th ASEAN National Tourism Organizations (NTO) Meeting and related meetings, held in Singapore on July 9.
The Cambodian delegation was led by Chuk Chumno, director-general of Tourism Development and International Cooperation and Cambodia’s Head of the National Tourism Organization (NTO). The Laos delegation was headed by Phonemaly Inthaphome, director-general of Tourism Development at the Lao Ministry of Culture and Tourism, while the Vietnamese delegation was led by Thi Hoa Nguyen, vice-chairperson of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT).
The meeting reviewed progress and discussed priority plans to advance the “Three Countries, One Destination” initiative.
To make the campaign more effective, officials from the three countries considered launching a Joint Package Tour comprising three days in each of the countries.
The package would incorporate each country’s key tourist attractions and is intended to stimulate travel both among residents of the three countries (intra-regional travellers) and international visitors from third-country markets (“Plus-One Countries”).
The meeting also endorsed a joint action plan based on practical and achievable measures, including the production of promotional videos, and the staging of joint cultural and sporting events.
They also agreed to work on strengthening private sector cooperation through networking and matching meetings, regular familiarisation (FAM) trips and the facilitation of easier cross-border travel.
The officials pledged to meet to identify “low-hanging fruits” — initiatives that can be implemented quickly, efficiently and deliver immediate results — in support of the joint action plan.
According to Cambodia’s tourism ministry, the Kingdom welcomed 1.54 million international tourists during the first five months of the year, a 47.8% decline from the same period in 2025. Of the total arrivals, 381,062 were Vietnamese, while 9,051 were from Laos.