MIST NEWS
2019 Travel Startups Asia Forum at ITB Asia
SINGAPORE, 15 October 2019 – After a successful Travel Startups Asia Forum featuring the final 2019 Mekong Innovative Startups in Tourism pitching competition in Bangkok, just one week later the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office has partnered with Messe Berlin to...
read more2019 MIST Winners Announced
BANGKOK, 11 October 2019 – The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office today announced the winners among the 10 innovative startups from across the Mekong Region, which competed in the Mekong Innovative Startups in Tourism (MIST) competition on 9 October 2019. This year,...
read moreBambooLao Wins Regional Travel Startup Competition
SINGAPORE (October 19, 2018) – BambooLao from Luang Prabang, Lao PDR beat 111 entrants from across Southeast Asia to take top prize in the 2018 Mekong Innovative Startups in Tourism (MIST) challenge. The elite travel startup competition, supported by the Australian...
read more5 International Tourism SMEs qualify for the MIST Market Access Program 2018
MIST has announced 5 International Tourism SMEs qualifying for their 2018 Market Access Program. Driving tourism innovation into the Mekong region from around the world, the MIST Market Access Program provides applicants a team of experts and resources for...
read moreMIST Startup Accelerator Announces 19 Semi-Finalists
The Mekong Innovative Startups in Tourism (MIST) Startup Accelerator has announced that 19 startups have qualified to join its 2018 program. The 19 startups will join a MIST Travel Startups Fundamentals Bootcamp from May 17-22 in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam. The five...
read moreMIST Extends Application Deadline for Vietnam Startups
MIST Startup Accelerator will extend its application deadline for Vietnamese startups until March 24. The original deadline was March 10. Startups hoping to take advantage of the deadline extension still must email mist@mekongbiz.org by March 10 to announce their...
read moreMIST Tourism, Hospitality, and Travel Tech Program Opens for Applications
The Mekong Business Initiative and Destination Mekong announced their 2018 Mekong Innovative Startups in Tourism (MIST) business support programs are now open for applications. For the first time, the MIST Startup Accelerator is welcoming applications from tourism,...
read moreMaking Adventure Accessible with Adventure Bucket List
People are wanting to get more out of their vacations, and not just time. There is greater need for experiences to be unique, adrenaline-fueled, and something they can’t do at home. Unfortunately, many places offering such experiences don’t have an online booking...
read moreBusiness Travelers Skip Immigration Queues with Borderpass
This MIST 2017 Market Access track participant from Malaysia is simplifying business travel in ASEAN including, with MIST’s help, the Greater Mekong Subregion. Their solution aims to reduce time and stress at a stage that many people dread: immigration. Enrolled users...
read moreSocial Impact and Innovation go Hand-in-Hand for this Startup
Lokalocal, a directory of community-based tours in Malaysia took the top prize for social impact at the MIST investor showcase in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR, last month. Passionately presenting their bottom-up approach, the successful startup proved an active community...
read moreInnovation Giving Locals Power
Better wealth distribution and positive cultural understanding are two highly important values that emerge through this startup’s innovative business model. Creating jobs for locals is at the heart of it all. With help from the Australian Government supported MIST...
read moreConnecting Innovation with Insider Knowledge
A combination of information, imagination and initiative verified Chameleon City as another recipient of the Australian Government’s 2017 Mekong Business Initiative Innovation Grant at the MIST investor pitch in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR. Boasting a globally distributed...
read moreInnovation in Cambodian Travel Tech Startup
Travel tech startup CamboTicket is jumping leaps and bounds. A Southeast Asian travel startup to watch. The Cambodian recipients of the Australian Government’s 2017 Mekong Business Initiative Innovation Grant, plan to expand further into Southeast Asia, while also...
read moreStartup Proving Innovation through Traditional Tourism
“TAEC has found a model that promotes culture and income through a successful tourism business” Said Tara Gujadher, Co founder of TAEC, and the judges agreed. Artisan Origins by TAEC (Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre), a social enterprise from Lao PDR, are one of...
read moreAn Innovative Solution for Myanmar Tourism
As Myanmar's tourism industry continues to rapidly expand, it is more important than ever to ensure locals can reap the benefits. GoP, our Australian government’s 2017 Mekong Business Initiative Innovation Grant winner is ensuring that local people can take advantage...
read moreMIST Tourism Accelerator Announces Mekong Business Initiative Tourism Innovation Grant Winners
The MIST tourism accelerator announced the recipients of four 2017 Mekong Business Initiaitive Innovation Grants. GoP, a travel tech startup from Myanmar, took top prize and will receive USD $10,000. Artisan Origins by TAEC, a social enterprise from Lao PDR, as well...
read moreNo Startup Left Empty Handed from the MIST Startup Accelerator Bootcamp
Networking, building connections and learning from industry experts left the 21 tourism startup semi-finalists feeling positive about the Mekong Innovation Tourism Startup (MIST) Accelerator bootcamp held on May 5-7, 2017 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Startups came away...
read moreWhat Makes a Tourism Startup Investible?
Travelers are more sophisticated and people want more from the destinations. Exploring like a local is becoming a necessity. It is important to know exactly what travelers need and what they are looking to get out of their adventure. Part of making a tourism start up...
read more12 Innovative Startups Qualify to Pitch Investors at Mekong Tourism Forum
After three days of workshops, mentoring, and networking with other forward-thinking innovators in the Mekong region, 12 finalists were selected. These startups will advance to pitch their business plans to investors at the Mekong Tourism Forum, 6 June in Luang...
read more11 Vietnam Startups Qualify for the MIST Startup Accelerator Program
Eleven innovative tourism startups from Vietnam have qualified for the Mekong Innovative Startup Tourism (MIST) Startup Accelerator program. Qualifiers from Vietnam include: Bayo’s mission is to help Vietnamese make the best travel decisions by helping them find the...
read moreTHE GALLERY
READY TO INNOVATE TOURISM IN CAMBODIA, LAO PDR, MYANMAR, THAILAND, AND VIET NAM?
Mekong Business Initiative – Asian Development Bank
16 Phan Chu Trinh, Hanoi, Vietnam
Mekong Business Initiative – Asian Development Bank
16 Phan Chu Trinh, Hanoi, Vietnam




































