Tourism development in Mekong Sub-region discussed  Tourism officials from four Southeast Asian countries - Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam - gathered at a meeting in Ho Chi Minh City on March 21 to discuss connectivity measures to develop the industry in the Mekong Sub-region. Illustrative image (Source: VNA) At the meeting, tourism cities, in particular Vientiane (Laos), Yangon (Myanmar), Phnom Penh (Cambodia) and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), were asked to create favourable conditions to boost economic and cultural exchanges between regional people, for the development of each country and to contribute to the region’s common prosperity.  Participants discussed cooperation plans to organise a programme on fostering tourism in the Japanese market, scheduled to take place from August 21-25, an exchange programme of tourism students from the Greater Mekong Sub-region and a sellers’ seminar to implement the joint statement of the first meeting of Mekong Sub-regional tourism cities’ mayors.  They also proposed new contents to prepare for the second meeting of Mekong Sub-regional tourism cities’ mayors, which is scheduled to take place in HCM City from September 11-12.  Speaking at the meeting, Nguyen Thanh Rum, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that the city’s tourism sector attaches much importance to the connectivity between regional tourism cities, with the aim to create a cooperation and development environment to increase the attractiveness of tourism products.  Tourism, the city’s key industry, is applying many policies and measures on promoting and diversifying products, boosting human resource training and strengthening cooperation and connectivity to develop the green industry in and outside the country. Source: Vietnam Plus