Five Vietnam's travel startups in finals of nursery program
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Industry experts selected the 12 startups from more than 250 applications spanning travel technology solutions, traditional tourism products, hospitality projects and social enterprises. All 12 attended a three-day training and evaluation program, 5-7 May in Siem Reap, Cambodia, where experts from Amadeus Next, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Buffalo Tours (TMG), Clickable Vietnam, Entrepid Advisors, Gobi Ventures, the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO), and Triip.me mentored the startups
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| 5 Vietnam's startups qualifying for the Mekong Tourism Forum Investor Showcase. |
MIST co-creator Jens Thraenhart, executive director of MTCO, explained that it is critical in today's competitive and fast changing travel and tourism landscape to integrate innovation and startups into tourism development planning. MTCO is currently the only regional tourism organization that incorporates startups into its tourism strategy development process.
“In addition to conventional evaluation criteria, the startups qualifying to pitch at the Mekong Tourism Forum were also assessed on socioeconomic factors such as contribution to responsible tourism development of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), employment of local people especially women, and inclusive growth," Thranhart explained.
5 Vietnam's startups qualifying for the Mekong Tourism Forum Investor Showcase include:
Bayo – Viet Nam – Bayo’s mission is to help Vietnamese make the best travel decisions by helping them find the right travel information, right suppliers, right products and prices, and to transact with local suppliers easily.
I Love Asia – Viet Nam – I Love Asia offers women-led motorbike tours of Hoi An and Hue while supporting projects for disadvantaged communities in the cities where they operate.
Dichung – Viet Nam – Dichung uses technology to promote low-impact rideshare transportation options, giving drivers the chance to trade free seats in their vehicles, and working with taxi companies to develop vanpools.
Chameleon City – Viet Nam – Chameleon City is an on-demand chat-based service providing travel and lifestyle answers from local experts, 24/7.
Morning Rooms – Viet Nam – Morning Rooms is Viet Nam’s largest budget hotel network, helping economical tourists find the right quality rooms for the price they need.
