USAID Supports Public-Private Consultation Workshop on Sustainable Eco-Tourism Development and Informational Workshop on ASEAN Homestay and Community-Based Tourism Standards
Pakse – April 27-28, 2022. The Department of Tourism Development, Ministry of Information Culture and Tourism (MICT), with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Laos Business Environment Project (LBE), convened a Public-Private Consultation Workshop on Sustainable Eco-Tourism Development and an Informational Workshop on ASEAN Homestay and Community-Based Tourism (CBT) Standards on April 27-28.
The workshop focused on reform advocacy to support sustainable eco-tourism development as well as understand the problems and challenges faced by private sector in promoting eco-tourism products and activities in the new normal economic environment resulting from the COVID pandemic. The workshop also highlighted the main issues encountered by local tourism businesses in meeting ASEAN CBT and homestay standards as well as potential remedial measures. The outputs of the workshop will be used to identify specific interventions that will help tourism businesses to integrate into regional tourism chains and improve their competitiveness.
The event was co-chaired by Mr. Ounthoung Kaophun, Vice Minister, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism and Mr. Som Boutthakoun, Vice Governor of Champasak Province. Participants included more than 50 representatives from relevant government ministries, the Champasak Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the local tourism association, and various tourism businesses.
During his opening remarks, Vice Minister Ounthoung Kaophun, expressed his appreciation for USAID’s ongoing support to help Laos improve its business environment. “Eco-tourism plays an important role in helping the tourism sector to recover from the Covid-19 impact,” said Vice Minister Ounthoung. “Therefore, it is important to improve quality to meet regional and international standards as defined in the Tourism Development Plan 2021-2025 and the Vision 2030 which are focused on making Laos an attractive destination for tourists.” He further noted that “the meeting today provided the opportunity for the public and private sectors to discuss issues related to policy reform advocacy in order to achieve sustainable eco-tourism development and increase awareness of ASEAN Homestay and CBT standards among all stakeholders in Champasak Province”, said Mr. Ounthoung.
The Vice Governor, Mr. Som Boutthakoun, stated that “tourism constitutes a significant sector for socio-economic development in Champasak Province. The province has comparative advantages in eco-tourism.” He noted that the workshop marked a significant milestone in the effort of strengthening eco-tourism development in Laos, particularly as it will increase awareness of local people of the conditions and procedures necessary for achieving regional standards for sustainable eco-tourism. As a result, the quality and services of local ecotourism businesses will be improved to meet the market demand, thereby contributing to increased income and improved quality of life for SMEs in Champasak Province.
Mr. Melvin Spence, Chief of Party of the USAID Laos Business Environment Project, stated that “tourism plays an important role in the Lao economy. Expanding sustainable eco-tourism and preserving cultural heritage and environmental protection require active engagement by all stakeholders.” He also noted that understanding and meeting ASEAN CBT and homestay standards help contribute to sustainable eco-tourism development and provide an opportunity for local communities to generate income at the grassroots level and ensure that tourism revenue is spread widely through communities across Laos.
USAID, through the Laos Business Environment Project, assists the Government of Lao PDR to improve the climate for investment and trade and enhance the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises.
