The first Meeting of CLV Tourism Ministers held in HCM City on August 26 brought together the tourism ministers of Cambodia, Laos, and Việt Nam. —VNS Photo Thu Hằng

HCM CITY — Cambodia, Laos, and Việt Nam held the first Meeting of CLV Tourism Ministers in HCM City on Wednesday.

Chaired by Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Lâm Thị Phương Thanh, it was held in the framework of the 20th HCM City International Travel Expo.

At the meeting, delegates exchanged strategic orientations to advance the “One Journey, Three Destinations” initiative and adopted a Joint Action Plan on CLV Tourism Cooperation 2026-2028 and the Joint Statement of the Meeting, establishing a concrete foundation for translating trilateral commitments into practical collaborative activities.

The three nations are targeting robust growth in international tourist arrivals to 35 million to the CLV region this year, Thanh said.

She emphasised that trilateral tourism cooperation should be built with a long-term vision of promoting the “One Journey, Three Destinations” initiative as a unique shared brand that makes practical contributions to the region’s sustainable development goals.

By leveraging each nation’s unique strengths, enhancing connectivity, and creating competitive cross-border tourism products, the CLV tourism cooperation aims to boost the region’s overall appeal on the international stage, she said.

Nguyễn Văn Được, chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, said the city is ready to coordinate closely with the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, tourism management authorities in Cambodia and Laos, and local authorities and enterprises in the three nations to implement the joint initiatives. 

He said priorities include product connectivity, market promotion, the development of cross-border tour routes, and the enhancement of business-to-business exchanges.

Delegates acknowledged the growing importance of having a dedicated tourism cooperation mechanism between Cambodia, Laos, and Việt Nam, given their close geographic, cultural, and historical ties.

They expressed their commitment to jointly developing and promoting them as a single, quality tourism destination.

The upcoming initiatives to promote “One Journey, Three Destinations” include CLV cross-border tourism packages, annual tourism and culture festivals, transboundary eco-tourism and heritage trails linking key destinations in the three countries, a CLV gastronomy promotion event, joint promotional campaigns and familiarisation trips, travel trade shows, exhibitions, training courses, seminars, and workshops to be held in the three countries.

Delegates agreed on the priorities for CLV tourism cooperation for the period ahead like joint product development and connectivity, marketing, promotion and branding under the “One Journey, Three Destinations” concept, public-private partnerships and product linkages, responsible and community-based tourism, and institutional strengthening and cooperation with international partners. —VNS