Destination Mekong and Mekong Business Initiative on Wednesday announced their 2018 Mekong Innovative Startups in Tourism (MIST) business support programmes.

For the first time, the MIST Startup Accelerator is welcoming applications from tourism, hospitality and travel tech start-ups headquartered in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Viet Nam. The Startup Accelerator provides support to early-stage companies with innovative and scalable business models. Applications for its 2018 cohort will close on March 10.

Some 15-20 start-ups selected by the Accelerator will attend an all-expenses-paid intensive boot camp, where they will compete for six months of advanced mentorship, in-kind acceleration support valued at US$20,000, prize money up to $10,000 and customised business matching with potential investors and partners.

The MIST Market Access Programme, now in its second year, is soliciting applications from successful, small- to medium-sized international tourism, hospitality and travel tech companies that want assistance in expanding in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Viet Nam. Applications for the Market Access Programme will close on March 31. Past participants have included Australia, Canada, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and the US.

As many as five companies accepted into the Market Access Programme will receive consultation to support their market access plans and will be introduced to key stakeholders in the region, including government and industry leaders. The applicant with the highest-potential plan for the region will receive a complimentary market access tour valued at $15,000.

“The Greater Mekong sub-region’s government, tourism and hospitality leaders have embraced MIST as a force of innovation, sustainability and growth in the region,” said Jens Thraenhart, executive director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office. “Through this programme, we have created the ideal mechanism for tourism innovators and travel start-ups to get paired with investors and industry mentors who can equip them to scale and thrive.”

Destination Mekong and Mekong Business Initiative - with the backing of the Government of Australia, Asian Development Bank and Mekong Tourism Co-ordinating Office - launched MIST in 2016 to propel innovation in the rapidly growing tourism markets of the Greater Mekong sub-region. MIST aims to expedite tourism industry growth, create an ecosystem that inspires innovation and promote sustainability in tourism.

Interested companies can find application details online at mist.asia. — VNS