Foreign visitors visit Cai Rang floating market in the Mekong River Delta province of Can Tho (Photo: VNA)The MIST Startup Accelerator will take entriesfrom early stage companies with either travel technology or traditional tourismbusiness plans. Meanwhile, the MIST Market Access Accelerator is welcomingapplications from mature international tourism startups needing assistanceentering the region.
Both accelerators will receive applicationsuntil March 19.
Dominic Mellor, senior Asian Development Bankeconomist and head of the Mekong Business Initiative said the MIST acceleratorprogrammes would create jobs, help local communities and supportentrepreneurship.
Applicants must demonstrate how they will createjobs, generate positive community impacts and contribute to sustainable tourismgrowth in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar or Vietnam.
Those accepted into the MIST Startup Accelerator will attend boot camps todevelop their business plans. The top business plans for each country will wingrants, with the best overall receiving 10,000 USD and the three runners-upreceiving 7,000 USD each.
Participants in both MIST accelerators willpitch their plans to investors, global acceleration programmes, and tourismleaders at the Mekong Tourism Forum, which will be held in Luang Prabang, Laos,and at the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Vietnam’s central city of Da Nang inNovember.
“The Great Mekong sub-region is among thefastest growing tourism destinations on Earth. Startups can disrupttraditional practices to adapt to changing consumer behaviours, but let’salso encourage responsible innovation that enhances the region’s appeal forfuture generations,” Jens Thraenhart, executive director of the Mekong TourismCoordinating Office, said.
MIST is a joint venture of the Mekong TourismCoordinating Office and the Mekong Business Initiative. It receives regionalfunding, advisory and technical support from the Asian Development Bank,Australia, Amadeus Next, the Pacific Asia Travel Association and VillageCapital.-VNA
VNA
