Thailand Launches Mekong Digital Training: Mtco And Agoda Support Small Accommodation Providers Across The Greater Mekong Subregion

Published on September 16, 2025

With nan motorboat of a training programme for micro, small, and medium-sized lodging providers, a caller section successful nan Greater Mekong Subregion’s (GMS) tourism improvement is being written. The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) is organising nan programme successful collaboration pinch Agoda, 1 of nan apical online recreation agencies successful nan area. The extremity of nan task is to usage integer devices to thief homestays, ecolodges, and guesthouses successful agrarian and secondary destinations interact pinch overseas visitors much successfully.

To guarantee that learning tin beryllium applied correct away, nan bid is being delivered online and translated into section languages. This strategy is thought to beryllium peculiarly beneficial for mini operators who are basal to community-based tourism but are not arsenic well-known connected world tourism platforms.

Schedule and Roll-Out Across nan Region

The training commenced connected 18 September 2025, pinch nan first convention being held successful Thailand. From there, nan programme is being extended to Cambodia, Viet Nam, Lao PDR, and China’s Yunnan and Guangxi provinces. The training schedule is being dispersed crossed respective months, continuing until November 2025, successful bid to let gradual description and adjustment to section contexts.

Each shop is being designed not only to present integer skills but besides to supply a model for semipermanent capacity building. Local National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) are being engaged arsenic partners to support nan initiative, ensuring that nan training aligns pinch nationalist tourism strategies successful each country.

Objectives of nan Training

The extremity of nan training is being centred connected 3 main objectives:

1. Enhancement of integer skills – Operators are being taught really to build and negociate listings connected online recreation agency (OTA) platforms specified arsenic Agoda.
2. Improvement of competitiveness – By strengthening visibility online, these MSMEs are being positioned to compete pinch larger players while still showcasing their authenticity.
3. Support of sustainability and inclusivity – Enterprises successful agrarian and secondary destinations are being supported truthful that benefits of tourism are distributed much evenly crossed nan subregion.

Through this initiative, section businesses are being enabled to invited much visitors while keeping their operations sustainable and aligned pinch organization development.

Training Components and Practical Applications

The training is being system to beryllium highly practical. Participants are being guided done nan steps required to upload room inventory and spot images, negociate readiness calendars, and use elastic pricing strategies. Training modules are being included connected really to create effective promotions and prosecute pinch customer reviews successful bid to build spot online.

These applicable devices are being complemented by integer trading skills. Operators are being shown really to usage photos and storytelling to convey their unsocial worth to travellers who are progressively seeking authentic, off-the-beaten-path experiences. By nan conclusion of nan programme, participants are expected to person nan expertise to independently support and optimise their online presence.

Regional Significance and First-Time Collaboration

This training bid is being marked arsenic nan first general collaboration betwixt MTCO, Agoda, and nan National Tourism Organisations of Cambodia, China (Yunnan and Guangxi), Lao PDR, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The business is being seen arsenic a exemplary of public-private practice successful nan tourism sector.

By bringing together a location coordinating office, authorities tourism bodies, and a backstage integer platform, nan task is being highlighted arsenic a objection of really different actors tin activity jointly to reside nan integer spread successful grassroots tourism. This practice is being regarded arsenic captious for nan early of tourism successful nan GMS, which is projected to acquisition dependable maturation successful visitant arrivals complete nan coming decade.

Long-Term Benefits for MSME Accommodation Providers

Long-term impacts of nan programme are being anticipated successful respective areas. Local operators are being empowered to summation world visibility, thereby diversifying their customer guidelines beyond home travellers. With this shift, revenues are being expected to rise, allowing reinvestment into properties and communities.

Inclusive maturation is being targeted arsenic smaller towns and agrarian villages summation entree to tourism markets that person antecedently been concentrated successful awesome municipality hubs aliases well-known edifice areas. By spreading tourism benefits much evenly, resilience of nan tourism system is being enhanced, making it little susceptible to shocks.

Moreover, nan accent connected integer engagement is being aligned pinch broader location goals of sustainable tourism development. Better-equipped operators are being seen arsenic amended capable to negociate demand, beforehand responsible travel, and protect taste and earthy resources while gathering visitant expectations.

Contribution to Regional Competitiveness

Tourism is being recognised arsenic a cardinal economical driver successful nan GMS, and integer skills are being treated arsenic a instauration for location competitiveness. By adopting these skills, MSME accommodation providers are being prepared to compete connected an world scale. The inaugural is being group wrong a discourse wherever location destinations are progressively competing pinch different parts of Asia for visitant arrivals.

Through this programme, nan Mekong region is being positioned arsenic a leader successful inclusive, digitally enabled tourism. The groundwork is being laid for a early successful which moreover nan smallest homestay tin pull a world audience.

Conclusion

The training programme that MTCO and Agoda are launching is regarded arsenic a important measurement successful nan Greater Mekong Subregion’s tourism development. It is being made judge that nan maturation of tourism is distributed much wide and sustainably by concentrating connected small-scale lodging providers and agrarian locations. Communities passim nan Mekong are being prepared to person an expanding number of visitors pinch professionalism, resilience, and inclusivity, and operators are being equipped pinch nan intends to prosper successful a integer economy.

[Image Source: Greater Mekong Subregion Official Website]