Can Tho bridge spans Hau River. Viet Nam, part of the Greater Mekong Subregion, is a destination of many tourists in the world. — Photo Duy Khuong

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — A 5-day forum on developing and promoting sustainable tourism in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) will be held in central Da Nang City on June 15.

The GMS is the fastest-growing tourism destination in Asia and the Pacific region.

Public and private sector participants representing the tourism industry, civil society, academia, and the media, as well as development organizations, including the Asian Development Bank (ADB), will attend the 2015 Mekong Tourism Forum, an annual event showcasing tourism trends and developments in the subregion.

This year's theme focuses on building partnerships to unlock the full potential of developing the GMS as a single tourism destination. The GMS includes Cambodia, China's Yunnan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Laos, and Myanmar, as well as Thailand and Viet Nam.

The gathering will touch on tourism based on food, adventure, and community, cross-border cultural routes, resource-efficient accommodation, and the use of social media to market businesses and engage travellers.

It will also feature lively discussions, including one led by CBS News Travel Editor Peter Greenberg on how to position the GMS as a ‘must-visit' single tourism destination.

A high-level panel will examine how tourism practitioners can contribute to the protection of the subregion's unique heritage and make tourism growth more inclusive. The forum — free of charge for all travel and tourism industry professionals — will develop a "white paper" for state tourism ministries and private sector practitioners, outlining a path for the industry's future.

The 2015 Mekong Tourism Forum is hosted by Viet Nam's Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism, and Da Nang City. — VNS