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Lao MICE Need Lead Time before They Return
MICE and group travel will need more lead time before returning to Laos, according to Rob Hanson, General Manager at Nakarath Travel. We Are Lao’s John Morris Williams recently interviewed Mr Hanson, whose DMC specializes in bespoke travel, to discuss his view on what it will take to reopen Lao travel. WAL: How do you see the future for MICE and group travel to Laos? Hanson: I do see the demand is there. So, if logistical issues in getting here are solved and our neighbours are on track, then I see a bright future. (However,) there are a lot of hoops to jump though in order to get there. WAL: What are your projections for bringing groups back to Laos upon reopening? Hanson: We have series with pax booked, and they are getting cancelled about three months prior to travel. For example, two groups confirmed for November had 30 pax, but they got cancelled (in late August). We’ve got groups confirmed for Q1, but if there is no clear plan to open by say October, these will get cancelled as well. So, if Laos takes the approach that they will open and announce it last minute, I’d say we’d have to wait 2-3 months before we actually receive any groups. As Laos is landlocked and lacking in any long-haul flight routes, time is needed for regional airlines to reinstate flights too, and actually make it logistically possible to get here. WAL: What are the current feelings from your overseas partners? Hanson: (There is) a general negativity regarding Asia in general regarding clarity of reopening, but not specifically aimed at Laos. Our overseas partners, who sell destinations worldwide, are at a point where they are just concentrating on other destinations that are already open, or have a clear plan to open. For the Asia specialists, of which there are many, it is very tough. WAL: Do you believe that MICE and groups are the fastest way to bring some sense of normality back when the border opens? Hanson: If some notice is given (2-3 months), we could bring in groups with big numbers. So yes, it would be the fastest way to bring in significant pax. If we have a last-minute notice, then it is likely FITs will be the first to arrive, but it would be in very small numbers. WAL: What would you like the hoteliers and your partners in Laos do to begin preparing for reopening? Hanson: Again a notice period for reopening to give them time to prepare would be essential. I’m very wary that lot of hotels may have to re-recruit from top to bottom, and we as a DMC would need to carefully assess each hotel prior to reopening and manage client expectations. I’ve been speaking to our tour operator partners overseas, and everyone is in agreement that clients will be initially quite forgiving in terms of service for the first 3-4 months. Hotels need to be honest with us though, in keeping us informed on where they stand with management and staff recruitment, tell us where they are, leave the expectation management of the clients to us. WAL: Would you offer a 2 week or longer MICE package to explore the sustainable side of Laos and get back to nature? Hanson: We already do. These tend to work best for FITs, as a lot of off the beaten track locations have limited hotel options for larger groups, but we have successfully run a series (16 days in Laos) for a smaller, 12 pax max group. We’ve been doing this for a long time, but it is still a limited market. If you are here for 2 weeks you need to be either okay with roughing it a bit on accommodation, or fairly active and into trekking. For the high-spend pax, a key market for us, that’s not always realistic. Personally, I’m watching Cambodia, as they seem to be about 3 months ahead of Laos regarding vaccines, and I’m hoping they will reopen as soon as they are rolled out. When this happens and if this goes well (and assuming Thailand and Vietnam are still closed), then Laos would be wise to partner up with Cambodia. The two countries need each other. Cambodia is trying to push themselves as single destination, but they have their limitations, as does Laos, but combined you have packages to suit the full range of clients. Already successful and (previously) heavily booked routes (LPQ-REP, PKZ-REP, VTE-PNH) would need to be reinstated. WAL: Regarding airlines and their group policies, would you require them to change their views? Hanson: I actually don’t have too many major issues with airlines and group policies, as long as seats can be blocked and a realistic time frame is given for issuing tickets is given. What I don’t want post-Covid is for airlines to try and ‘cash in’ too much and we have to go back to the tour operators and tell them the prices are going up X amount purely because of the flights, as we are confident in controlling all other aspects of pricing and maintaining rates. Airlines have demonstrated that they have been willing to heavily discount during Covid, and they should continue to be at least realistic in their pricing during the effective ‘soft opening’ where capturing groups is key. Nakarath Travel: www.nakarathtravel.com
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Are MICE and Groups the Route Back to Laos?
Are MICE and group travel the way back for Lao tourism once the borders reopen? We Are Lao’s John Morris Williams recently asked Laurent Granier, Co-founder & General Manager of Laos Mood Travel, for his thoughts. Laos Mood is a MICE and group travel specialist with distinct and geographical markets. WAL: How do you see the future for MICE and group travel to Laos? Granier: It is going to be even tougher than before. We already know that airlines are stricter than before with agents that want to block seats. Restarting is slow and airlines operate cautiously. They still want to manage by yield management, and FITs are easier to manage, especially when things go wrong. So, to my despair, I do not see a restart of group and MICE bookings any time soon. WAL: What are the current feelings from your overseas partners? Granier: They feel sorry for us, because they send their accounts to wherever is open. And, Asia in general, is not currently on their radar. We are in travel, and there is no good news or sign that tells us that a serene restart is possible. In travel you need two sides to meet. We have nothing with which to be constructive: no vision, no flights, no visas, no conditions of entry/stay. When we get a request, we know that we have become a tool to make another destination look good. The Dominican Republic, Colombia, Sri Lanka, Oman, Mexico, Dubai, Rwanda, and Tanzania are sharing the Belgian/French MICE market for long haul destinations. Further, accounts decide from six to 12 months before traveling. They communicate beforehand. So, whatever is not decided “now” will not happen or materialize before the six to 12 months at best. WAL: Do you believe that MICE and groups are the fastest way to bring some sense of normality back when the border opens? Granier: We know how and what to do, so the tourists we handle are traceable. But what irritates me is that I have not heard of any differentiation in the way tourism is handled by authorities. Yes, I am for ”positive discrimination”, in the sense that I truly believe that a MICE (or even leisure) traveler, that is double vaccinated and subject to PCR tests before their departure and on arrival are safer than anybody else trying to sneak in illegally. Rob (Nakarath Travel) said that already and I agree. The “risk vs benefits” ratio is somehow in favor of the economy, fueling not just cash but also hope and boosting morale. WAL: What would you like the hoteliers your partners in Laos do to begin preparation for reopening? Granier: Nothing special. Just be friendly and cautious with basic hygiene and sanitary practices, but honestly, nothing much else. Being open, courteous, and at a fair price (and not increased to pre-crisis rates), is already enough in my taste. WAL: Would you offer a 2 week or longer MICE package to explore the sustainable side of Laos and get back to nature? Granier: The MICE business will not come for two weeks-plus. They are looking at 4-7 nights at the very max. They average of 5.5 night. They don’t have time for activities beyond Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, Vientiane, and eventually Pakbeng and Nam Kat Yorlapa in Oudomxay for the very most adventurous ones with more time on their hands. WAL: Regarding airlines and their group policies, would you require them to change their views? Granier: We adapt to them, not the reverse. End of the story. We are not buyers. We merely make recommendations to agents in the source markets on what we hear from the trade and news, and that’s it. If we have to deal with airlines, it is going to be merely Lao Airlines for Bangkok or Hanoi flight connections to/from Laos. Domestically, in the future, I will make sure we use the train. Laos Mood Travel: www.laosmood.com
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The Gift of Hope!
~ THE GIFT OF HOPE ~ And the Chance to Revive Laos’ Wild Elephant Population A BABY ELEPHANT IS BORN IN LAOS! Thirty-two-year-old Mae Khampheng spent decades carrying heavy loads of tourists on her back under the burning sun by day, shackled in chains by night. Deprivation was all she knew. Today—thanks to the Elephant Conservation Center’s Rescue, Rehabilitation & Re-wilding work — Mae Khampheng knows health, joy…and motherhood! She wanders the forest freely under the watchful eyes of her loving caregivers with her newborn baby girl by her side! The birth of a tiny elephant in the quiet forests of Sayaboury Province in Laos on Christmas Day in 2020 was a powerful symbol of hope for Laos’ rapidly declining elephant population. Indeed, it was a gift to us all. For the ECC staff, that moment on Christmas Day was an emotional celebration of 20 years of teamwork that has blended science, research, compassion, and struggle to create a ‘formula’ for success for the rescue, rehabilitation, and re-wilding of Laos’ captive elephants. But all of this — including the future welfare of Mae Khampheng, her tiny baby, and 32 other elephants at the ECC— is currently at risk due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The ECC normally relies on elephant-friendly tourism to support its award-winning elephant conservation, research, and welfare work. But with international travel impossible in 2020 and 2021, our visitor income has dropped 100%…to zero. In response, we have slashed our operational costs to the bare minimum. We need your help! Elephants need your help! Thank you for your kind support. Together, we will keep the hope of a forest filled with wild elephants alive! —————– You can learn more about the costs associated with raising a baby elephant here: how do we make a baby elephant & how much it costs Typically, a $100 donation can support veterinary care a supplementary food for mother and calf during 1 month a $200 donation can fund our ‘back to the wild’ release programme for mother and calf during 1 month a $500 donation can fund caretaker’s wage & insurance during 1 month See little Noy receive her first blessing (‘Baci’ ceremony) by ECC Mahouts here: Baby Elephant Baci Ceremony https://www.gofundme.com/f/baby-elephant-laos ——————- OUR MISSION • RESCUE • REHABILITATE • REWILD • REVIVE LAOS’ WILD ELEPHANT POPULATION Elephants need your help! And they need your hope!
