14. The RTSS identifies one of the main challenges as the highly inequitable distribution of
tourism benefits between GMS countries, within the borders of each country, and between
urban and rural areas, with relatively little impact on the poor and socially disadvantaged
groups. Thailand, with the greatest share of tourism benefits in the subregion, has successfully
created strong linkages between tourism and other production sectors, such as agriculture,
fishing, and manufacturing. Thus, it has been able to service almost all the needs (food,
beverage, tourism commodities, materials, transport, and other goods and services) of tourists
from domestic, rather than foreign, sources. By contrast, the other GMS counties have
significantly higher economic leakages in the tourism sector—they tend to be more importbased
in tourism-related products and services.