Laos has proposed the Khonphapheng area in Champassak province be opened to developers to improve facilities for tourists, according to the Lao National To urism Authority.
The authority made the suggestion at the Asean Tourism Taskforce Meeting held in Vientiane last week, during discussions on Tuesday by the Taskforce on Tourism Investment.
Lao tourism officials see the suggestion as a means to attract foreign investment in the hospitality and transport sectors.
“Khonphapheng waterfall attracts thousands of tourists each month. But hospitality services in the area are inadequate, with very few restaurants, hotels, guesthouses and limited road access,” the Tourism Marketing and Promotion Department Director, Mr Saly Phimphinith, said.
Mr Saly said investors were needed to develop tourist facilities around the popular waterfall.
The Asean Tourism Taskforce Meeting covered six different topics during the four days, through taskforces and working groups.
These included the Taskforce on Asean Crisis Communication, the Taskforce on Tourism Investment, the Working Group on Cruises, the Taskforce on Asean Tourism Standards, the Taskforce on Manpower Development and the Taskforce on Tourism Marketing.
“Most of the topics discussed were important for Laos , especially those relating to investment, tourism standards, tourism marketing and crisis communication,” Mr Saly said.
He said tourism in the Asean region was growing very fast compared with other regions of the world, and Asean nations were offering a variety of tourism resources to foreign investors.
“Each country represented at the meeting had a particular project it wanted to propose for development, to attract foreign investment. Laos suggested Khonphapheng waterfall because this area really needs investment,” Mr Saly said.
He said another important topic at the meeting was crisis communication. This covered bird flu, earthquakes, forest fires and haze, tsunamis, and other events in Asean countries that damaged tourism.
“All Asean member countries will collect and supply information on these issues to international media and tour agencies. This helps tourists to understand the situation in each country,” Mr Saly said.
Also at the meeting, developing Asean countries agreed on the tourism standards proposed by the taskforce concerned.
“This is important because the implementation of standards will improve services in Laos ,” Mr Saly said. “The meeting was useful to all the participating countries, but was especially helpful for Laos .”
The next round of Asean Tourism Taskforce Meetings will be held in the Philippines .
I think the rising of fuel price will slightly affect the tourism, specifically the fee for the bus service, the Lao aviation, and all trasportation will no doubt, increase. As a result, many Lao people will not keen to travel as they usually did. As for the foreigners, considering that Laos is a cheap place to travel, this may not affect tourism in Laos that much.
