Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) - The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism hosted the first Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Tourism Ministers’ Conference in Ho Chi Minh City on August 26, establishing a ministerial-level tourism cooperation mechanism among the three countries.
The conference adopted a joint action plan for 2026-2028 aimed at realising the “One Journey, Three Destinations” initiative, sharpening competitiveness and developing cross-border tourism products.
In her opening speech, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Lam Thi Phuong Thanh said the conference marks an important milestone, turning the direction agreed by the three Prime Ministers at their meeting in Ho Chi Minh City on February 22, 2025 into cooperation mechanisms. Earlier meetings among national tourism agencies in Vientiane, Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City laid the groundwork.
Thanh said traditional friendly ties and complementary potential provide favourable conditions for tourism development. Sharing the Mekong River, distinctive cultural and natural heritage, and increasingly convenient transport networks, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia have a solid foundation to build a common destination with a distinct identity and strong appeal on the global and regional tourism map.
She called for long-term tourism cooperation to establish “One Journey, Three Destinations” as a shared tourism brand that contributes to inclusive development. The action plan should set specific targets and outcomes to monitor and evaluate progress at each stage, rather than stopping at broad orientations.
The three countries were also urged to coordinate closely and speak with one voice at multilateral tourism forums, including ASEAN, the Greater Mekong sub-region, UN Tourism and the Pacific Asia Travel Association, thereby raising their tourism profile.
Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Van Duoc said the “One Journey, Three Destinations” initiative will gradually showcase the three countries as a chain of complementary destinations. Tourists could experience diverse cultures, landscapes and values in a single journey, thus extending their stays, diversifying travel experiences and spreading the economic benefits of tourism to more localities.
With strengths in air connectivity, trade and a large cluster of companies across the tourism value chain, the city aims to become a hub connecting the three-country journey with international markets. Duoc said better coordination on information, tourism products, transportation options and market promotion would turn the initiative from a promotional message into concrete tourism products.
Ho Chi Minh City stands ready to work closely with tourism authorities, localities and businesses from the three countries to roll out the joint initiative, focusing on product connectivity, market promotion, development of cross-border routes and stronger business-to-business exchanges, he said.
Participants agreed that the second conference will be held in Laos in 2027.
In 2025, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia welcomed 31.3 million foreigners, up 10.2% from 2024, including 3.2 million visitors from within the three-country bloc, accounting for 10% of total foreign arrivals. Tourism revenue approached 45.6 billion USD. During the first quarter of 2026, the three countries drew 16.6 million foreigners, including 1.6 million intra-bloc arrivals.
The 2026-2028 joint action plan identifies six priority areas, including developing joint tourism products and improving travel and transport connectivity; joint marketing, promotion and branding; public-private partnerships and product linkages, including promotion of Vietnamese, Lao and Cambodian cuisine; capacity building and experience sharing among tourism officials; sustainable and community-based tourism; and strengthening cooperation with international partners./.
