The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Tourism sector strategy is built on the principles of sustainable tourism development that is economically viable and contributes to sustainable development, gender equality, and poverty reduction in the GMS.

In 2011, the GMS Tourism Ministers endorsed a refocused strategy which consolidates the seven priority programs set out in the original strategy into three: (i) tourism-related human resource development, (ii) pro-poor sustainable tourism, and (iii) subregional marketing and product development.

The vision is to promote the GMS as a single destination, offering a diversity of good quality and high-yielding subregional products, add to tourism development efforts of each GMS country, and contribute to poverty reduction, gender equality and empowerment of women, and sustainable development, while minimizing any adverse impacts.