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Explore Mekong Giveaway MOU
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The Explore Mekong Giveaway is a
public-private partnership between the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office
(MTCO) and FreePlayo.com. A memorandum of understanding was signed today.
MTCO Executive Director Mason
Florence said: "We are very excited by the potential of this project. It
ticks all the right boxes: it's in the spirit of public-private partnership and
in line with the MTCO's objectives to promote the Mekong
region's vast array of responsible, sustainable, and community-based tourism
credentials, and in turn to help spread the benefits of tourism more
widely."
Targeting travellers, the Giveaway
project will be focused on an open and interactive online loyalty programme
dedicated to responsible, sustainable and community-based tourism in the
Greater Mekong Sub-region. The website will offer simple interactive games
based on sponsors' content. It will be free for people to register as members;
only a first name and a valid email address are required. As they return to
accumulate the points needed to claim travel prizes, members will become
intimately familiar with sponsors' brands, promotions and products. Many will
become loyal advocates of responsible tourism and Giveaway sponsors.
The Explore Mekong Giveaway will
donate two thirds of its sponsorship opportunities to eligible social
enterprises identified by the MTCO. Initially four tourism SMEs from each
Mekong-region country (24 in
total) will enjoy the benefits of sponsorship for free. Larger travel and
tourism organisations, such as airlines, hotel chains and multi-destination
tour operators, will be offered the unique opportunity to participate as one of
only 12 Premium Sponsors.
All sponsors of the project will
enjoy prominent and interactive branding, promotions scheduling, product
showcases (via Rewards), a dedicated sponsor profile page and value-added
social media advocacy. Sponsors will benefit from the familiarity created by
repeat exposure of their brands, promotions, and products as members return to
the site to accumulate points needed to claim Rewards.
To support the overheads of the
Giveaway, the MTCO and FreePlayo will seek funding from donor agencies that
support responsible, sustainable and community-based tourism.
Courtesy of
volunteers without borders
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MTCO's private-sector partner
FreePlayo.com is investing in the project's development as well as waiving
FreePlayo customisation and licence fees. When the project is launched,
sponsorship revenue exceeding operational costs will be divided equally between
MTCO and FreePlayo.
FreePlayo co-founder and Managing
Director David Gillbanks said: "I'm thrilled! We're very proud to be
involved in this project. All stakeholders will benefit from the Explore Mekong
Giveaway: lucky travelers, responsible tourism suppliers, premium sponsors,
donor agencies, destinations and communities, the MTCO and FreePlayo. This is
very much in line with FreePlayo's mission statement, which is to ensure
'everyone's a winner'!"
For further information, please
contact the MTCO: media@mekongtourism.org
