Technical and vocational schools and colleges around the country have assembled their tourism and hospitality courses under one central Facebook Page titled “Hosts of Laos.”
The Facebook Page, spearheaded by the Technical Vocational Education and Training Department, under the Ministry of Education and Sports, is part of a national campaign highlighting the benefits of vocational training for careers in tourism and hospitality, and contains information on a variety of different courses ranging from three months to three years, depending on previous qualifications and certification levels.
Applications for the 2020-2021 academic year diploma courses in Hotel Operations, Restaurant Operations and Travel Agency and Tour Operations, are now officially open in 18 TVET institutions across the country with more information available through the Facebook Page. These vocational programs provide students with the necessary skills for careers in the tourism and hospitality sector such as cooks, room attendants, bartenders, receptionists, and, food and beverage attendants.
Students from Pakpasak Technical College undergoing training on food and beverage service
“The Tourism and Hospitality sector is one of the pillars of the Lao economy, and while the Covid-19 global pandemic undoubtedly presents challenges for the sector in the short-term, we are confident that its resilience will help it bounce back rapidly and return to being a key employer and driver of the Lao economy,” says Mr. Nouphan Outsa, Director General of the TVET Department.
Depending on the course and school, tuition fees start at an affordable rate of LAK 250,000 per term, with certain students eligible for a monthly stipend of up to LAK 200,000 to cover living expenses – an attractive proposition for many students from modest socioeconomic backgrounds.
Deadlines for applications vary according to the school and course, with the majority closing their application period towards the end of September.
This campaign is financed by the Skills for Tourism Project (LAO/029) which is funded by the Governments of Lao PDR, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and Switzerland, and implemented by the Ministry of Education and Sports of Lao PDR and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.
https://www.tourismlaos.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Students-Encouraged-to-Apply-for-Tourism-and-Hospitality-Courses-Nationwide.jpg6271200Sylivanla Vongphachanhhttps://www.tourismlaos.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Lao-Simply-Beautiful-.webpSylivanla Vongphachanh2020-08-31 14:44:512020-08-31 14:45:37Students Encouraged to Apply for Tourism and Hospitality Courses Nationwide
The United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has relaxed its travel advice for a number of countries, listing the risk of travel to Laos as very low.
Since March, the CDC warned US travelers to avoid non-essential travel to all international locations, however, it revised its advice last month to include 20 countries where the risk of Covid-19 is “low” or “very low.”
The State Department also lifted its unilateral “Do Not Travel” advisory in accordance with the new list of low-risk countries.
The CDC has a list of 13 destinations where the ‘COVID-19 Risk is Very Low,’ on which Laos appears, alongside the British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, French Polynesia, Greenland, Macau SAR, Mauritius, New Caledonia, Taiwan, and Timor-Leste.
Neighboring Thailand appears on the CDC’s low-risk list, while Vietnam now appears on the high-risk list following its recent outbreak in Danang.
Many countries have closed their doors to US arrivals, as the nation leads the world in Covid-19 occurrences.
With 20 confirmed cases, Laos is taking no chances for a second wave of Covid-19. The country has implemented strict preventative measures, including limited immigration, and mandatory testing and quarantine for those who enter the country.
International tourist arrivals in Laos during the first six months of this year have dropped sixty percent compared to the same period last year.
Laos confirmed its first case of Covid-19 on 24 March, going into full lockdown on 30 March, with measures prohibiting residents from leaving their homes except for essential tasks. International and customary borders were closed, and interprovincial travel was banned. Hotels and restaurants were authorized to continue operations, however, restrictions on travel forced most to close down temporarily or permanently.
Despite a lifting of certain lockdown measures and an initial victory declared over Covid-19 in June, the impact on the economy is expected to be disastrous, while unemployment has jumped to 25%.
The Vientiane Times quotes an internal report by the Department of Tourism Marketing, Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism as showing that international visitor numbers have fallen from 2,228,459 in January to June 2019, to just 886,447 in the first six months of this year.
According to the report, visitors from ASEAN member countries fell by 62%, with visitor numbers from Thailand falling by more than half.
Vietnamese arrivals dropped 60%, while the number of Chinese tourists dropped by 46%, and visitors from South Korea dropped 14%.
Lao Visits Laos
While the tourism industry in Laos has been affected by the loss of international arrivals, a domestic tourism campaign is beginning to take shape.
First announced informally late last year, the idea of promoting domestic tourism predates the Covid-19 pandemic, however, it has become all the more pertinent amid the current economic downturn.
“Industry leaders are likely to collaborate on special promotions, combining flights and accommodation or meals to attract tourists from within the country,” says Jason Rolan, Senior Partner at RDK Group, a marketing and consulting firm specializing in tourism.
While little has been confirmed in regard to the upcoming campaign except for its working title, “Lao Visits Laos,” it is believed that the campaign will bring together stakeholders from across the tourism and hospitality sector in a combined push to stimulate the sector.
https://www.tourismlaos.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Exploration-and-Variety.jpg10001500Sylivanla Vongphachanhhttps://www.tourismlaos.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Lao-Simply-Beautiful-.webpSylivanla Vongphachanh2020-08-10 15:49:462020-08-10 15:49:48Domestic Tourists Targeted for Laos as International Arrivals Plummet
Students Encouraged to Apply for Tourism and Hospitality Courses Nationwide
Technical and vocational schools and colleges around the country have assembled their tourism and hospitality courses under one central Facebook Page titled “Hosts of Laos.”
The Facebook Page, spearheaded by the Technical Vocational Education and Training Department, under the Ministry of Education and Sports, is part of a national campaign highlighting the benefits of vocational training for careers in tourism and hospitality, and contains information on a variety of different courses ranging from three months to three years, depending on previous qualifications and certification levels.
Applications for the 2020-2021 academic year diploma courses in Hotel Operations, Restaurant Operations and Travel Agency and Tour Operations, are now officially open in 18 TVET institutions across the country with more information available through the Facebook Page. These vocational programs provide students with the necessary skills for careers in the tourism and hospitality sector such as cooks, room attendants, bartenders, receptionists, and, food and beverage attendants.
Depending on the course and school, tuition fees start at an affordable rate of LAK 250,000 per term, with certain students eligible for a monthly stipend of up to LAK 200,000 to cover living expenses – an attractive proposition for many students from modest socioeconomic backgrounds.
Deadlines for applications vary according to the school and course, with the majority closing their application period towards the end of September.
This campaign is financed by the Skills for Tourism Project (LAO/029) which is funded by the Governments of Lao PDR, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and Switzerland, and implemented by the Ministry of Education and Sports of Lao PDR and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.
Source: https://laotiantimes.com/2020/08/14/students-encouraged-to-apply-for-tourism-and-hospitality/
CDC Relaxes Travel Advice for Laos
Since March, the CDC warned US travelers to avoid non-essential travel to all international locations, however, it revised its advice last month to include 20 countries where the risk of Covid-19 is “low” or “very low.”
The State Department also lifted its unilateral “Do Not Travel” advisory in accordance with the new list of low-risk countries.
The CDC has a list of 13 destinations where the ‘COVID-19 Risk is Very Low,’ on which Laos appears, alongside the British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, French Polynesia, Greenland, Macau SAR, Mauritius, New Caledonia, Taiwan, and Timor-Leste.
Neighboring Thailand appears on the CDC’s low-risk list, while Vietnam now appears on the high-risk list following its recent outbreak in Danang.
Many countries have closed their doors to US arrivals, as the nation leads the world in Covid-19 occurrences.
With 20 confirmed cases, Laos is taking no chances for a second wave of Covid-19. The country has implemented strict preventative measures, including limited immigration, and mandatory testing and quarantine for those who enter the country.
Source: https://laotiantimes.com/2020/08/14/cdc-relaxes-travel-advice-for-laos/
Domestic Tourists Targeted for Laos as International Arrivals Plummet
International tourist arrivals in Laos during the first six months of this year have dropped sixty percent compared to the same period last year.
Laos confirmed its first case of Covid-19 on 24 March, going into full lockdown on 30 March, with measures prohibiting residents from leaving their homes except for essential tasks. International and customary borders were closed, and interprovincial travel was
banned. Hotels and restaurants were authorized to continue operations, however, restrictions on travel forced most to close down temporarily or permanently.
Despite a lifting of certain lockdown measures and an initial victory declared over Covid-19 in June, the impact on the economy is expected to be disastrous, while unemployment has jumped to 25%.
The Vientiane Times quotes an internal report by the Department of Tourism Marketing, Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism as showing that international visitor numbers have fallen from 2,228,459 in January to June 2019, to just 886,447 in the first six months of this year.
According to the report, visitors from ASEAN member countries fell by 62%, with visitor numbers from Thailand falling by more than half.
Vietnamese arrivals dropped 60%, while the number of Chinese tourists dropped by 46%, and visitors from South Korea dropped 14%.
Lao Visits Laos
While the tourism industry in Laos has been affected by the loss of international arrivals, a domestic tourism campaign is beginning to take shape.
First announced informally late last year, the idea of promoting domestic tourism predates the Covid-19 pandemic, however, it has become all the more pertinent amid the current economic downturn.
“Industry leaders are likely to collaborate on special promotions, combining flights and accommodation or meals to attract tourists from within the country,” says Jason Rolan, Senior Partner at RDK Group, a marketing and consulting firm specializing in tourism.
While little has been confirmed in regard to the upcoming campaign except for its working title, “Lao Visits Laos,” it is believed that the campaign will bring together stakeholders from across the tourism and hospitality sector in a combined push to stimulate the sector.