Vietnam wins 2nd prize in regional travel startup competition
Vietnamese startup travel company Ecohost beat 110 competitors to take second prize in the 2018 Mekong Innovative Startups in Tourism (MIST) challenge.
Foreign tourists enjoy cycling in Viet Hai Village, Cat Ba Island. (Photo: goodmorningcatba.com)
Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnamese startup travel company Ecohost beat 110competitors to take second prize in the 2018 Mekong Innovative Startups inTourism (MIST) challenge.
The elite travel startup competition, supported by the Australian Governmentand Asian Development Bank, includes Asia’s most prominent travel-specialisedventure capitalists among its advisors.
MIST’s second prize comes with a 5,000 USD innovation grant.
Ecohost enables quality tourism experiences in Vietnam’s countryside, workingvillage-by-village to develop tours and activities while improving the capacityof rural homestays to serve international guests.
“The MIST innovation grant will enable us to deliver skills training coursesacross three villages and upgrading homestays for 15 families,” said EcohostCEO Bui Thi Nhan.
Ecohost came in second to BambooLao from Luang Prabang, Laos. BambooLao is on amission to eliminate single-use plastics from hotels and resorts across Asia.They have produced more than 80,000 reusable bamboo straws and other bambooutensils, using indigenous bamboo varieties and a proprietary natural treatmentprocess.
MIST supports high-growth-potential emerging market startups in travel andhospitality – especially startups that generate positive impacts forcommunities, culture, and the environment. The programme’s five 2018 finalistsrefined their business acumen and pitching skills during MIST’s week-longbusiness fundamentals bootcamp, five months of customised coaching by industryexperts, and MIST pitch competitions in Ho Chi Minh City, Nakhon Phanom,Thailand, and ITB-Asia’s Mekong Travel Startup Forum in Singapore.
“BambooLao, Ecohost, and other MISTfinalists demonstrate how the Mekong region’s bright, innovative entrepreneursare finding practical solutions to solve industry problems, while striving tomake tourism more inclusive and sustainable," said Jens Thraenhart, co-organiserof MIST and executive director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office. - VNA
The Destination Mekong and the Mekong Business Initiative on February 7 announced their 2018 Mekong Innovative Startups in Tourism (MIST) business support programmes are now open for applications.
Seven startups from Vietnam have been selected to qualify for the 2018 Mekong Innovative Startups in Tourism Startup Accelerator programme, along with 12 others from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.
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Foreign tourists enjoy cycling in Viet Hai Village, Cat Ba Island. (Photo: goodmorningcatba.com) 
