Lanith Symposium focuses on AEC issues

LUANG PRABANG  Laos’ national tourist board needs a stronger voice in government, the private sector has to embrace the digital era and antiquated laws touching on tourism need an urgent review.
These were some of the core conclusions of the 15th Lanith Symposium held in Luang Prabang 12 December.
The influential think tank attracted 80-plus Lao tourism stakeholders from around the country, who took a collective step forward in preparing for the ASEAN Economic Community’s 2015 startup, by exploring the event’s theme “What ASEAN Integration Means to You”.
Key figures leading the discussion were, Lao National Tourism Department director general, Saly Phimphinith, Symposium chairman and Luang Prabang Chamber of Commerce and Industry president, Bounthieng Duangpaseuth, Michael Grewe, representing the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and Lanith chief technical advisor, Peter Semone.
inside no 6.1Conclusions from panel discussions, keynote presentations and question periods echoed common themes:
The National Tourism Department needs a stronger voice in the government;
All segments of Laos’ travel trade must embrace the digital era;
Antiquated regulations hindering the industry require review; and Lao tourism must evolve at its own rate.
An attorney with Vientiane-based Sciaroni and Associates, Raymond Alikpala, pointed out that the Lao government considers tourism a priority investment sector in its AEC blueprint, but Lao lawyers need a better grasp of international law.
“International agreements must be translated into Lao law, which will require decrees and regulations…For Laos, AEC integration will be an incremental process, as all ASEAN countries do not need to develop at the same pace.”
Pacific Asia Travel Association special advisor, John Koldowski, agreed that AEC integration calls for all Lao ministries to work together.
“To act fast, Laos really needs a separate ministry dedicated to tourism, but it must move at a pace it is comfortable with to achieve sustainable growth.”
Saly Phimphinith agreed with the private sector that bureaucracy needs revision, as tour operators must still register inbound customers, while independent travellers enter Laos without obstacles and hotel managers must file daily guest-list forms, which incurs fees.
Exotissimo Travel managing director and symposium panelist, Duangmala Phommavong, stimulated the discussion by asking how best to create private-public partnerships and promote Laos within the AEC and beyond.
Asian Development Bank Senior Portfolio Management Specialist and panel moderator Steven Schipani suggested, “The role of development partners in PPPs should be that of a neutral intermediary.”
TripAdvisor destination marketing senior sales manager, Sarah Matthews, responded that the private sector must work with the tourism board to agree on target markets and products and develop brand awareness by engaging in the digital environment. “You go fishing where the fish are, and the fish are online.”
Koldowski pointed out that embracing technology is imperative in the AEC platform, and Laos should seek new partners for data sources such as using credit card companies’ statistics, monitoring telecom use, and tracking tweets. Data must also be kept up to date and communicated to stakeholders.
inside no 6He emphasised that the public and private sectors must work together to create a circular economy in which a community such as Luang Prabang maintains its individuality while providing for, and profiting from, tourism.
“You must maintain the small-town feel, but keep your identity…Focus more on the locals and keeping the community together to offer an authentic destination that people will want to visit,” he said.
Mr Schipani agreed, stating, “We don’t need to chase growth. If Luang Prabang is a nice place to live, it will be a nice place to visit.”
Other topics discussed included how Laos should handle the ASEAN open skies policy, the importance of more seamless air travel to Luang Prabang from mid-to-long haul markets, and developing story-telling content on websites.
GIZ Project team leader, Hartmut Janus, capped off the symposium by asking the audience to summarise the event in a few words, with “Laos is a diamond in the rough” leading the list.

sourced:ttrweekly.com