Bangkok--21 Dec--eTurboNews The Mekong Tourism Office has announced its new marketing plan, 2008-2011. The MTO's senior advisor, Mr. Peter Semone, told Great Mekong Subregion (GMS) member countries that the priorities would be to consolidate resources, build credibility and win the confidence of the private sector over three phases of activity. Addressing delegates of the GMS Tourism Working Group Ad-hoc Meeting in Vientiane on December 3, he recommended that phase I of the plan should include: 1) appointing a country coordinator for Mekong activities in each member NTO 2) upgrading the MTO's website 3) creating a Mekong Travel Planner for travel agents 4) presenting MTO at international events 5) facilitating sub-regional networking activities 6) enhancing the MTO member database 7) improving monthly updates to all stakeholders 8) holding regular private sector advisory meetings, and 9) carrying out market research. Mr. Semone told the 35 delegates that it was important for the MTO to get the basics right. "Later phases should include GDS engagement, social website capabilities with search engine optimization, media familiarization trips, re-establishing the Mekong Tourism Forum, and a visit GMS year," he said. MEKONG RIVER DISCOVERY TRAIL A STEP CLOSER The last 80 or so river dolphins in the Mekong River are at the heart of an ambitious development program to tackle poverty and attract tens of thousands of visitors to two of the poorest provinces of Cambodia. The Mekong River Discovery Trail Project will draw visitors to view the endangered fresh water dolphin which lives in 10 deep water natural pools in a 190-km stretch of the Mekong River, mostly between the quiet provincial capitals of Kratie and Stung Treng. The main objective of the Discovery Trail is poverty alleviation. About 50 percent of all households in Stung Treng and 30 percent of those in Kratie live on less than US$1 a day. "The Mekong River Discovery Trail Project aims to bring about sustainable pro-poor tourism that helps develop Northeast Cambodia," says Dr. Harsh Varma, Director of Development Assistance Department of the World Tourism Organization.