Before 2020, tourism in Lao PDR was one of the largest sources of foreign exchange earnings, only behind mining and electricity. International tourism arrivals reached a peak in 2019 as 4.79 million visitors came to Laos and spent $934 million dollars. This makes for a contribution of tourism spend to the Lao economy of 9.1%. It also created employment for 300,000 people in Lao PDR.
COVID-19 has paralysed the tourism industry, with a decline of international tourism arrivals around 74%. Tourism businesses experienced a huge drop in revenue of somewhere between 70 and 80%. Almost all workers in the tourism sector, both directly and indirectly, have been impacted through unpaid salaries, loss of income and increase in outstanding debts (water bills, electricity bills etc), the negative impact on households’ disposable income and a decline in domestic demand.
The biggest challenge tourism businesses in Lao PDR have reported as a result of COVID-19 is the high risk of needing to terminate their business due to cashflow issues and lack of working capital. At least 50% of tourism businesses have reported cashflow issues as a result of COVID-19, and up to 65% of formal businesses have reported a high risk of needing to terminate at least part of their operations. In interviews as well as the stakeholder consultation workshop, the private sector stressed that financial support to tourism businesses should be an immediate priority, to avoid the sector to collapse in the short to medium term.
The theme of the third ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Awards 2022 is “Safe Tourism”
Responsible tourism operators in Southeast Asia can now participate to the 3rd ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Awards (ASTA), a prestigious recognition in support to the implementation of ASEAN’s Tourism Strategic Plan 2016-2025.
Twenty sustainable tourism packages – two from each ASEAN Member State (one urban and one rural) – will be highlighted on the respective NTO’s website and will receive exposure as a national best practice operator during press conferences and trade shows such as ATF, TRAVEX, ITB and WTM covering the two years period, in order to raise their business exposure as well as international visibility.
They will be invited on stage to receive a trophy and recognition during the sustainable tourism awards event, which will be part of the ASEAN Tourism Forum in Cambodia, January 2022.
Mr. Khom DUANGCHANTHA, Director General of Tourism Marketing Department, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism visioned that ASEAN tourism operators have to showcase the best tourism products to be featured in the ASEAN award platform launched. The tourism package are represented importance of sustainable tourism practices in combating seasonality and rebalancing tourist flows into ASEAN countries. “The diversity and quality of ASEAN’s sustainable tour packages are amazing for tourists to select according to their preferences. The aim of the awards is to prove and foster green tourism practitioners” Mr. Khom stated.
Of the two winners in each country, one will be “rural”, one will be “urban” to reaffirm that city operators can be sustainable as much as rural ones.
The award takes place every two years with a different theme. For 2022-2023, for the 3rd edition of ASTA, the theme is “Safe Tourism”. “Safe tourism” refers to trips made to destinations where all the precautions have been taken to provide visitors with the safest experience and it constitutes the main selling argument.
Each application will be assessed by ASTA’s Master Assessors in the applicant’s country.
The deadline for submissions is 30th October 2021. Results will be announced in December and the awarding ceremony will be take place on January 2022 during ASEAN Tourism Forum in Cambodia.
Applicants can read the full rules and regulations and download the application forms and guidelines here alternatively email asta.asean@gmail.com.
Vang Vieng’s blue bridge, known as Khoua See Fa Tham Non, is offering free passage until 2022.
The bridge, spanning the Song River, was constructed by Wonderful Travel Co., Ltd and officially opened to the public in August 2019.
Located just beyond the Vang Vieng fresh market, at 16 meters high and 110 meters long, the bridge allows road traffic to easily and conveniently cross the river and access tourism sites on the other side.
President of Wonderful Travel Co, Mr. Bounphan Vongsamphan spoke with the Laotian Times, saying the bridge, officially known as Tham Non Blue Bridge, or Khoua See Fa Tham Non, has become a tourism site in its own right.
Crossing the blue bridge in Vang Vieng.
It was constructed over 3,574 square meters, and is valued at over LAK 1.6 billion, according to Mr. Bounphan.
“We have been offering passage across the bridge free of charge since 2019, and will continue to do so until 2022,” he said.
“However, we expect to begin charging for use of the blue bridge from 2023 until 2030,” Mr. Bounphan Vongsamphan added.
Vang Vieng authorities said recently that the town had received over one million visitors in the last five years, with 700,000 of these foreign tourists.
Due to Covid-19 pandemic, however, the number of visitors to Vang Vieng has dropped to just 30 percent of its pre-pandemic volume.
The opening of the Vientiane to Vang Vieng Expressway has cut travel time, and resulted in a surge of domestic tourists on weekends and holidays.
The blue bridge is located in Houy Sangao Village, Vang Vieng District, in Vientiane Province, and provides access to areas beyond Vang Vieng town. Activities for visitors in the area include a viewpoint on the bridge, as well as kayaking, ziplining, caving, and more.
LAO PDR TOURISM COVID-19 RECOVERY ROADMAP 2021-2025
Before 2020, tourism in Lao PDR was one of the largest sources of foreign exchange earnings, only behind mining and electricity. International tourism arrivals reached a peak in 2019 as 4.79 million visitors came to Laos and spent $934 million dollars. This makes for a contribution of tourism spend to the Lao economy of 9.1%. It also created employment for 300,000 people in Lao PDR.
COVID-19 has paralysed the tourism industry, with a decline of international tourism arrivals around 74%. Tourism businesses experienced a huge drop in revenue of somewhere between 70 and 80%. Almost all workers in the tourism sector, both directly and indirectly, have been impacted through unpaid salaries, loss of income and increase in outstanding debts (water bills, electricity bills etc), the negative impact on households’ disposable income and a decline in domestic demand.
The biggest challenge tourism businesses in Lao PDR have reported as a result of COVID-19 is the high risk of needing to terminate their business due to cashflow issues and lack of working capital. At least 50% of tourism businesses have reported cashflow issues as a result of COVID-19, and up to 65% of formal businesses have reported a high risk of needing to terminate at least part of their operations. In interviews as well as the stakeholder consultation workshop, the private sector stressed that financial support to tourism businesses should be an immediate priority, to avoid the sector to collapse in the short to medium term.
THE 3RD ASEAN SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AWARDS LAUNCHED
The theme of the third ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Awards 2022 is “Safe Tourism”
Responsible tourism operators in Southeast Asia can now participate to the 3rd ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Awards (ASTA), a prestigious recognition in support to the implementation of ASEAN’s Tourism Strategic Plan 2016-2025.
Twenty sustainable tourism packages – two from each ASEAN Member State (one urban and one rural) – will be highlighted on the respective NTO’s website and will receive exposure as a national best practice operator during press conferences and trade shows such as ATF, TRAVEX, ITB and WTM covering the two years period, in order to raise their business exposure as well as international visibility.
In addition, winners will be highlighted on ASEAN Tourism’s website https://www.visitsoutheastasia.travel/
They will be invited on stage to receive a trophy and recognition during the sustainable tourism awards event, which will be part of the ASEAN Tourism Forum in Cambodia, January 2022.
Mr. Khom DUANGCHANTHA, Director General of Tourism Marketing Department, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism visioned that ASEAN tourism operators have to showcase the best tourism products to be featured in the ASEAN award platform launched. The tourism package are represented importance of sustainable tourism practices in combating seasonality and rebalancing tourist flows into ASEAN countries.
“The diversity and quality of ASEAN’s sustainable tour packages are amazing for tourists to select according to their preferences. The aim of the awards is to prove and foster green tourism practitioners” Mr. Khom stated.
Of the two winners in each country, one will be “rural”, one will be “urban” to reaffirm that city operators can be sustainable as much as rural ones.
The award takes place every two years with a different theme. For 2022-2023, for the 3rd edition of ASTA, the theme is “Safe Tourism”. “Safe tourism” refers to trips made to destinations where all the precautions have been taken to provide visitors with the safest experience and it constitutes the main selling argument.
Each application will be assessed by ASTA’s Master Assessors in the applicant’s country.
The deadline for submissions is 30th October 2021. Results will be announced in December and the awarding ceremony will be take place on January 2022 during ASEAN Tourism Forum in Cambodia.
Applicants can read the full rules and regulations and download the application forms and guidelines here alternatively email asta.asean@gmail.com.
Further information on past edition
Visit https://www.visitsoutheastasia.travel/
Blue Bridge Remains Free of Charge in Vang Vieng
Vang Vieng’s blue bridge, known as Khoua See Fa Tham Non, is offering free passage until 2022.
The bridge, spanning the Song River, was constructed by Wonderful Travel Co., Ltd and officially opened to the public in August 2019.
Located just beyond the Vang Vieng fresh market, at 16 meters high and 110 meters long, the bridge allows road traffic to easily and conveniently cross the river and access tourism sites on the other side.
President of Wonderful Travel Co, Mr. Bounphan Vongsamphan spoke with the Laotian Times, saying the bridge, officially known as Tham Non Blue Bridge, or Khoua See Fa Tham Non, has become a tourism site in its own right.
It was constructed over 3,574 square meters, and is valued at over LAK 1.6 billion, according to Mr. Bounphan.
“We have been offering passage across the bridge free of charge since 2019, and will continue to do so until 2022,” he said.
“However, we expect to begin charging for use of the blue bridge from 2023 until 2030,” Mr. Bounphan Vongsamphan added.
Vang Vieng authorities said recently that the town had received over one million visitors in the last five years, with 700,000 of these foreign tourists.
Due to Covid-19 pandemic, however, the number of visitors to Vang Vieng has dropped to just 30 percent of its pre-pandemic volume.
The opening of the Vientiane to Vang Vieng Expressway has cut travel time, and resulted in a surge of domestic tourists on weekends and holidays.
The blue bridge is located in Houy Sangao Village, Vang Vieng District, in Vientiane Province, and provides access to areas beyond Vang Vieng town. Activities for visitors in the area include a viewpoint on the bridge, as well as kayaking, ziplining, caving, and more.
Source: https://laotiantimes.com/2021/03/02/blue-bridge-remains-free-of-charge-in-vang-vieng/