| ECO-TOURISM IS THE KEY
The potential of eco-tourism is recognised by the Government and under co-operation between Laos and Netherlands, a pilot development project has been carried out in Huaphan, the northern province of Laos.
Eco-tourism brings benefits to the local people and involves them in the tourism sector. They are able to become trekking guides, arrange home-stay for tourists and sell their products, especially handicrafts and agricultural produce. In addition, eco-tourism causes less harm to nature and creates more enjoyable activities to visitors.
Laos has enormous potential in this regard, with abundant natural resources especially rivers, mountains and forests, resources hard to find in neighbouring countries.
Advertising is very important for promoting tourism in Laos, however the advertising needs funding. This is why most fund sources usually come from international donors.
Rich natural heritage
Laos has unspoiled and diverse ethnic lifestyles and traditions, and perhaps the richest, most extensive network of ecosystems in the Indochina peninsula.
There are over 800 species of birds and more than 100 large mammals already identified in Laos. The places to protect and conserve these irreplaceable resources is the network of 20 National Protection Areas, often cited as one of the best designed Protected Area Systems in the world.
Eager to position Laos as a premier eco-tourism destination, the Lao National Tourism Administration, related government agencies and the private sector are working hard to realise the ambitious vision and express it in the country’s National Eco-tourism Strategy and Action Plan with these important principles:
It is believed that eco-tourism decreases environmental & cultural impacts. In addition, this kind of tourism increases awareness of the importance of the ethnic groups and biological diversity; promotes responsible business practices, which co-operate closely with local authorities and people to support poverty alleviation and deliver conservation benefits; provides a source of income to conserve, sustain and manage the Lao protected area network and cultural heritage sites, and emphasise the need for tourism zoning and management plans for suitable sites.
It is also believed that eco-tourism can promote local styles of architecture that are developed in harmony with Lao culture
and environment, using local materials, minimising energy consumption and conserving local plants and wildlife.
Very much in Viengxay
When roads to Houaphanh Province and its airport are developed, local and international tourist arrivals to the province could increase from 5,000 to 100,000 per year.
The improvements in infrastructure in the province span 10 to 15 years with a budget of US$4 million, said Mr Vang Rattanavong, Deputy Chairman of the Lao National Tourism Administration.
The United Nations Tourism Organisation, the Netherlands Development Organisation and Deakin University have agreed to provide technical cooperation to the LNTA in implementing focused sustainable tourism projects in the Viengxay district of Houaphanh province.
The agreement, signed last month, stipulated that the 2 projects worth US$120,990 will be carried out over the next 18 months, with the UNWTO contributing US$75,340, SNV contributing US$32,350 in both cash and in-kind services, and Deakin University contributing US$13,300 in in-kind services.
The development will involve eco-tourism which will provide income to the local people from their involvement of providing home-stays and guided tours.
But it’s not all smooth going
Throughout the country, many tourism sites are being exploited in natural and planned ways. Unfortunately, most natural ways cause negative impacts to tourist sites, added Mr Vang..
“We have seen some entrepreneurs build their shops or viewing platforms too close to the sites, unaware that they have caused damage” he added. “Development of the tourist sites should be carried out in accordance with carefully planning, otherwise there will be more destruction.”
Some authorities, as well as entrepreneurs, have developed sites that are incompatible with nature, such as the construction of roads to the sites, believing that easy access is important, he said. However, road building could cause destruction to the same sites they are supposed to access.
People living near sites are very important in conserving them, and authorities should pay attention to encouraging people to stay there and conserve their culture. For example, a Buddhist temple might be surrounded by Lao Buddhists who usually go to the temple to give monks alms every day. But when tourists of other religions come to visit such sites and occupy homes and lands surrounding the temple, the monks will have no-one to donate alms. So the temple will soon be empty of monks and become less attractive to tourists.
David Unkovich
MORE GOOD REASONS TO SEE LUANG PRABANG
Two new natural tourist sites in Luang Prabang province were officially opened recently. Thong waterfall and Nam Lot cave (with water flowing through) will support the growth of the tourist market in Laos and provide more activities.
A river port has also been constructed in front of Tham Ting, where the best attractions are the 2 caves full of Buddha images of varying styles, ages and sizes. The lower cave, called Tham Ting or Tham Leusi, contains a Leusi statue. The other noteworthy cave is Tham Theung (upper cave), or Tham Prakachay, and can be reached by a 2 hour boat trip upstream from Luang Prabang.
Lots of good things
The first half of this year has seen much improvement and expansion of tourism services and human resource training so as to provide better services to tourists.
Along with renovation work of tourist sites in the province, improvements on the Kuang Si waterfall are now 90% complete.
The whole province has around 109 tourist sites, and in the first 6 months of the year more than 140,000 people visited Luang Prabang province, a 5% increase over last year. Of this figure, 94,470 tourists were foreigners.
Four tour companies have also been granted licenses to run businesses in the province, which has also authorised 6 more guesthouses to be built.
There are now 8 main tour companies and 13 company branches running businesses in the province, as well as 18 hotels, 152 guesthouses and 104 restaurants.
THE SECOND WORLD HERITAGE SITE
Over 40,000 visits enjoyed the museum of Vat Phu in the first 9 months of the 2006-6 financial year, yet few people realise that, like Luang Prabang, it is a World Heritage listed site.
The museum and heritage sites in the Vat Phu area have been gradually improved and rehabilitated using a grant of US$ 2.5 million from Japan and Italy since 1996. Japan provided a grant through UNESCO of over US$ 2.3 million, while the Government of Italy provided US$160,000.
The grant was also aimed at preserving the environment of the Champassak plain. The co-operation between Lao sectors concerned and Japan has been implemented successfully in accordance with the plans.
The result of this co-operation has been a new image to this World Heritage site, including a museum which has been constructed near the site.
A study by Lao experts and those from Vasida University of Japan for the past 5 years has found many ancient artefacts and evidence of former civilisations. Vat Phu in Champassak was named a World Heritage site at the end of 2001.
NEW ROAD
A new 68km road linking the districts of Nan and Kasy could open next year. This will be the second road connecting Luang Prabang and Vientiane and construction already began in February this year to form this ‘shortcut’. Some 45 kms of the planned route has been cleared already, financed by the Ministry of National Defence at a cost of US$34,000.
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