NAKHON PHANOM, 26 June 2018: Five international tourism SMEs have qualified for this year’s Mekong Innovative Startups in Tourism (MIST) Market Access Programme 2018.
The winner, Adventoro, receives the Market Access prize package and personalised meetings with key local partners and stakeholders.
The runner-up winner, HereO, receives a trip to Mekong Tourism Forum hosted in Nakhon Phanom this week, 26 to 29 June.
Not to be confused with the MIST’s Startup Accelerator programme, the five international tourism SMEs qualifying for the 2018 Market Access Programme are companies that are already well established, but seek to expand their operations in the Mekong Region.
Driving tourism innovation into the Mekong region from around the world, the MIST Market Access Programme provides applicants a team of experts and resources to enable them to launch new services in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
This year, the MIST Market Access Programme offers five finalists a free consultation by top regional experts for market entry.
MIST Market Access Programme winners
Adventoro offers soft adventure activities including whitewater rafting, jungle treks and diving excursions. Currently serving Malaysia, Adventoro will use the MIST Market Access Programme to enter Vietnam.
Moneybay provides a digital cross-border currency exchange platform. The Malaysian based fintech makes it simple for tourist to make payments online and collect currency from a local partner.
DidaTravel Technology is a back-end technology for hotel booking, providing real-time inventory and rates.
Monkey Theory creates fun and happy experiences with branded sporting events, encouraging public health and social activity.
HereO offer “last-mile” transportation services for tourists including fleets of electric scooters with smart technology
“This year we received strong applications from all over the world; demonstrating the attraction of the Greater Mekong Subregion to innovative International companies,” said MIST director, Jason Lusk. “Our selection panel of investors and industry experts had the difficult task of reviewing more than 200 MIST Market Access Programme applications.
“The five SMEs that made it through represent the best of the Greater Mekong Subregion – companies with innovative models and the capacity to impact local communities while solving key challenges facing tourism in the region.”
(Source: MIST, Huong Vu)
