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Ethically Yours, Silver Naga Vang Vieng
“We use ‘Ethical’ a lot in our practices because I feel tourism is all about people,” said Rachel Dechaineux, owner of the riverside Silver Naga hotel in Vang Vieng. “We aim to give our guests a truly memorable stay that incorporates my passions for Lao design, culture, and food.” “I always reflect on what and how we engage as people, whether tourists or the hotel,” she added, and as a social anthropologist, “Socio-environmental concepts and issues are deeply ingrained in my heart.” She stressed the 84-room hotel follows established sustainable guidelines, but, “We aim to create a balance of ethical and sustainable practices, by engaging the local community.” She pointed to Silver Naga’s Sustaining Communities – School Project that renovated one local school wing with an Australian school donation. The project also supports regular sports and in-class environmental awareness activities. Local school kids collect rubbish for pony rides offered by Silver Naga. The hotel’s eight-horse stable started in 2008, with three ponies acquired from Laundry Chief Ms Nai’s grandfather. They had been earmarked for Vietnamese butchers. Ms Nai also helped commission a local women’s weaving group to “create our own design using natural dyes and organic cotton, for show pillow cases,” Rachel said. She added Silver Naga’s contribution to the community’s economy reaches into all areas of the hotel, from furnishings to food. “Almost all our furniture was made by Vang Vieng carpenters onsite,” Rachel noted, and locally woven cotton upholstery covers them. The hotel uses locally procured bamboo shingles, rattan furniture and basketry, and décor, including wall paintings by local artists and artefacts such as pottery and gongs. L’Artisans supplies liquid soap refills. Dishes served in Silver Naga’s restaurant are mostly grounded in Vang Vieng and Laos. “I developed our initial menu with Lao seasonal cuisine, Rachel said. “This ‘slow food’ charcoal cooking brings out fabulous flavours using ingredients like bamboo shoots, crickets, fern shoots, and ant eggs.” She added, “I have noticed over the years most Western travellers are willing to try the local food. They get addicted to Lao food for its freshness, spice, flavours and colour.” Less adventurous palates will find Asian and Western dishes alongside an Italian-inspired vegan menu. The hotel’s fields across the Song River grow plenty that appears on their plates, while presenting an unobstructed view of steep limestone mountains. “We home grow natural, chemical-free sticky rice in our field,” Rachel said. “The garden produces chilli and basil, mulberry leaves for tempura, and rosella flowers and pandan leaves for welcome drinks.” She noted that chefs order seasonal vegetables and fruits available in the region before selecting products from Vientiane or imports. “We also separate our wet waste, and scraps head to the farm’s chickens, ducks, geese, and ponies.” Rachel then began pointing to the more traditional side of the sustainable scale. “We practice popular hotel policies on conserving electricity, towel reuse, sundried laundry, and water refill stations.” She added that Silver Naga has axed plastic water bottles. “We now have our own water filtration and glass bottle sanitizing system.” Solar panels heat the water. Containers, wax paper, and banana leaves replace plastic bags for refrigerator storage. Staff make bamboo straws, and the cleaning teams collect cash in on recycling cardboard, glass, and plastic bottles…except those used to make stand up paddle boards. But for Rachel, Silver Naga’s ethical bottom line relies on “the friendly service delivered by our local staff.” Long-term investments in local staff pays off at Silver Naga “Education for a career in tourism and hospitality is relatively new in Laos,” Rachel said. “Employment used to be based on English, computer skills, job experience, or recommendations. “Our staff were mostly trained on the job and at in-house training courses. However, that started to change when LANITH and vocational schools established core curriculum for tourism and hospitality, which raised the industry’s profile as a career path.” However, careers at Silver Naga began at its first property Elephant Crossing that opened 15 years ago. “Several of our staff have worked with us for more than 10 years,” and they arrived on different roads. “At one stage, there was a trend of employees coming from a local English teacher training program…This crew started as waiters to improve their spoken English and learn service skills.” They then started climbing a choice of ladders. “This was the path our current Communications/Reservations Manager Pong Phommaxay took. He is continually challenged with improved technology,” Rachel said. “Another example is Silver Naga’s Resident Manager Somchin Souvannaseng. We employed her as a 16-year-old to take care of our children. She started learning English by watching Disney and listening to conversations in the hotel.” Ms Somchin went on to business management school, and took LANITH courses. “She has an amazing skillset, and is an excellent team leader,” Rachel said. “The hotel’s core team now transfers their skills and know-how to student interns.” It appears Silver Naga’s investment in their employees’ future is now paying off. Covid Clean & Safe “We adapted our practices when Covid arrived,” Rachel said. “We monitor the temperatures of staff and guests at check in, and provide hand sanitizers. All staff wear masks, with many requiring gloves. We practice social distancing on elevators, and only make-up rooms upon request. “Silver Naga conducts all protocols necessary to be a clean, safe place for our guests. We also allocate rooms with distances for individuals and groups.” SILVER NAGA Website: Silver Naga reservations@silvernaga.com +856 (0)23 511 822 Download “Ethically Yours, Silver Naga Vang Vieng” .pdf Visit Sustainable Tourism Laos *** Media and Interested Showcase Partners Contact: WeAreLao Bernie Rosenbloom Email: Bernie@WeAreLao.com Tel/WhatsApp: +856 20 5613 3479
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Lao Tourism Will Not Die: Only Companies Die
By John Morris Williams In spite of Covid-19’s effect on the worldwide travel industry, the Lao tourism and hospitality sector continues to look towards a brighter future. However, our global tourism partners and clients are uncertain of the situation in Laos, and what the plan is for reopening when international travel gets rolling. Today, all stakeholders are in one kind of survival mode or another. Some are trying to move forwards, while others are taking a wait-and-see position. This second group risks dying if they think the situation will return to the pre-Covid way of doing business. They need to maintain a positive mindset and outlook, though current conditions appear grim. Lao tourism needs to consider and understand four main attributes to recreate the destination before moving forwards when the doors open. And these efforts require a unified front. 1. Communicate Lao tourism must reach the outside world, and we need to do this now. It is imperative to show our global tourism partners that we are still here, and eagerly waiting for travelers to return. Keeping Laos in the global eye via various media platforms is critical, and we must build a national synergy to achieve a brighter future. 2. Collaborate Communication requires collaboration. The Lao travel trade must find a happy medium between the private and public sectors. We must ensure we present the correct message, and not distort the situation. This must be a unified message shared by all. We must combine our efforts to ensure a promising way ahead for all. 3. Cooperate The Lao travel trade needs to take a larger-than-life approach in creating awareness for all. We need to build a country-wide network to provide up-to-date information that is easy to access for all stakeholders. 4. Consolidate Lao tourism needs to build on what we have now, and improve historical and cultural attractions and outdoor activities to a higher standard. Laos offers many stunning locations. The trade needs to consolidate its direction. Developing Post-Covid Tourism Lao tourism needs to adjust, improve, and expand our global reach to better communicate how Laos is meeting tourists’ changing demand post-Covid. According to most marketing surveys, the following topics are high on the list of future travelers, and areas in which Laos needs to focus its visibility. – Family-Based Travel Families want to travel after Covid, as parents want to get their children in a fresh environment. This can include hotels and resorts with children’s activities and swimming pools, as well as soft adventures including river-based activities, water sports, hiking in nature, horseback riding, and zip lines, all of which Laos offers. The country’s cultural and historical attractions, UNESCO sites, and temples also encourage family trips and tour packages. – Outdoor Experiences / Adventures Laos offers a range of outdoor adventures throughout the country such as Namkat Yorla Pa eco-resort with its menu of nature-based activities, The Rock Viewpoint’s spider-net suspended bridge by Green Discovery, and Tiger Trail’s cycling and off-road motorbike excursions. Several operators around Laos offer rock climbing, camping, kayaking, mountain trekking, caving, and hiking through coffee plantations on the Bolaven Plateau. The country’s historical and cultural aspects, such as Vat Phou, the Plain of Jars and the 2,000-year-old “Standing Stones” can be incorporated in outdoor experiences and potential tour circuits around Laos. Nature-based Destinations Green mountains and dense forests dominate Laos’ landscape, with sizeable National Protected Areas (NPAs) that are home to wildlife and endangered species, and local forest rangers oversee these pristine NPAs. Conservation activities include the Nam Nern Night Safari and the Elephant Conservation Center to name just two. Longer Stays Laos offers several opportunities for multi-day circuits such as the route starting with a cruise to Pakbeng and continuing overland through Oudomxay Province and on to Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, and Vientiane. Tourists can spend a few days at these destinations before moving to the next. Laos presents several similar opportunities, but it requires an industry that works together to create these combinations. Hotels and resorts must coordinate with top travel and tour companies, for them to be successful. Cooperating with neighboring countries can open more doors for circuits. Short Haul Holidays Laos should first target neighboring countries including Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. Thailand offers the easiest access with plenty of bridges spanning the Mekong from north to south. Vietnam has a nice road from Hanoi through Dien Bien Phu that cuts through northeastern Laos to Luang Prabang and beyond. Moving ahead, the country should focus on regional markets such as Singapore and Malaysia, once flights return. What Laos greatly needs is easy access for cycling and motorbike groups, who would love to tour the country. However, currently these groups face major hurdles to enter, while small villages lose economic opportunities. Meanwhile, conventional overland tours bypass these villages and stay on the road to known destinations. Reopening? Do not prepare to open soon after the second lockdown ends, as we still do not have an opening date. What we do need is a roadmap that accounts for various possible opening dates. Lao tourism needs to do its homework and make preparations now, either around a table or on a Zoom conference. Having a program that can be implemented at any time would be ideal, rather than not having any plans for what should or will happen. Many questions arise over reopening. How many local travel and tour agents in Laos are still operational? Are hoteliers keeping in touch with them? Do those who do not reply still owe you money? Will Chinese and Korean agents, who had been operating in Laos, return? Lao tourism should prepare for a shock regarding travel agents upon reopening, which raises more questions. How many are or will be operational? Do they have the proper licenses and permits to open and sell tours? Hoteliers should be concerned over not knowing how many are operational and whether they will continue in Laos once the doors open. We may see a flood of new overseas travel agents applying for licenses without begin vetted, and their base would be from a previous company who left. Who will they choose? Hoteliers need to meet once the second wave has receded. Zoom meetings should be held to address the sector’s objectives, hygiene, operations and manpower, and training issues. There are many points to discuss to ensure Laos is ready for that special day, when we get to say, “We are back and waiting for our friends and partners once again.” I would like to thank Me. Lee Huong Choong from the UNWTO for his input.
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The Road to Reopening Hotel Doors in Laos
Veteran hotelier and We Are Lao Managing Director John Morris Williams presents an easy to follow guide to reopening the Lao hospitality sector, with a focus tour agent’s and traveler’s needs. Overview The travel trade and social media, both in Asia and globally, abound with hype about re-opening the tourism and hospitality industry in the Covid era. It’s interesting to read articles written by my professional colleagues, who try breaking down all the information floating around. This wealth of interpretations has created a maze, where one can easily get lost. I remain in touch with my travel trade colleagues around the world. They are hurting as much as Lao tourism, and some may not reopen their travel companies due to Covid. We all hope this doesn’t happen, but it’s “in the cards” unless the situation improves with vaccinations and people following the oft-cited basic rules. We all hope and pray the day comes, when we can again open the doors to tourists, especially here in Asia and Laos. Tourism is a lifeline and bread winner for many Lao people and the local economy. In Laos, the government has done a tremendous job in keeping the country safe since last April’s border lockdown. Laos has had less than 50 confirmed cases, all coming from outside the country, and no deaths. The recovery rate has been 100%. This is a major achievement, and the Lao government should be applauded for their efforts. Back to the topic of waiting for the day when the doors open, which is currently a guess. Rather than dreaming of reopening, it’s time to address more serious topics to bring the tourism and hospitality sector up and running when those tourism doors open. What Your Foreign Travel Partners Want to Know A considerable number of Lao properties have closed their doors during Covid due to various reasons such as cash flow and a lack of domestic demand. Whatever the reason, a decision to shutter their businesses brings a big shock. Laos is now entering its 2nd border lockdown year, and foreign travel partners are wondering what’s going on behind those closed doors: – What steps have you taken to maintain your closed property? – How are you maintaining your hotel? – How often are you cleaning your property? – Do you turn on your water and electrical systems, and air conditioners at a certain times every week to ensure they are properly operating? – Do you keep maintenance logbooks for reference? – Do you regularly clean your bathrooms and shower units to eliminate bacteria sleeping in the walls? – What are you doing to keep your linen, towels, and bathrobes clean and in good condition? – Have you prepared a schedule to reopen and revive your establishment? Your clients will want answers to these questions and those concerning measures you have taken to ensure your establishment is safe and hygienic. Clients may even ask to inspect your property before booking. I don’t mean to scare hotel owners and general managers, but the reality is that your clients will be asking these questions for the benefit of their clients, who will be staying or dining at your establishment. Many of my friends who own and operate hotels and resorts in Laos have mentioned they are keeping a skeleton team of employees to maintain their properties. They need to communicate the answers to the above questions to their clients to build confidence and maintain business relationships. Bringing Back Manpower This is a topic on the minds of hotel and restaurant managers. How many staff should you bring back at first, and who will they be? Staff, who were laid off or furloughed and returned to their farms and villages, are also considering whether or not to go back to work in the service sector. They are thinking about how they were treated during Covid at the hotels, resorts, and restaurants where they worked. Establishments may undergo a downsizing in staff, whereas in previous years, many hotels and resorts were overstaffed. Properties need to be careful, and bring staff back one step at a time, based on occupancies, forward bookings, and the future tourism development of the country. Retraining for the Future A longtime colleague from Germany asked me about the quality of manpower, when Laos opens its doors. I mentioned there is a huge ongoing drive on training courses countrywide. He was somewhat surprised, but I explained we are internally open unlike more strict lock downs seen in cities and regions in other countries. As such, we can develop and retrain future frontline hospitality staff. As a travel agent, he will be asking his hotel partners if they have been training their staff during Covid. He needs to convince his Laos-bound clients that the country has maintained and improved its service quality. Currently, several companies in Laos, such as DFICT, are offering reasonably priced courses across the country for housekeeping, food and beverage, and kitchen staff, with an added stress on hygiene. Now is the time for hotels and resorts, who are open or plan to reopen, to embrace and retrain your employees. Fundamentals in Bringing Back Accommodation A considerable amount of effort goes into bringing an establishment back to operational standards, once the doors reopen. Travel partners and their customers need to be sure they are entering a safe and reliable operation that has maintained their standards and offer value for money or even better than before. A safe environment with measures and precautions in place are on the top of your trade partners’ lists. As previously mentioned, agents may want to inspect your property before placing their clients in your rooms. Yes, they’ll want to see plenty of hand sanitizers and masks. They also need to know your front-line staff have been trained in personal hygiene as well as current, and future, Covid-related standards issued by health departments around the world. They may also want to see your full policies regarding topics, such as cleaning bathrooms and public areas with alcohol spray, to judge your property, and if you’ll be ready to welcome guests. Looking to the Future: One Step at a Time No one expects to be able to reopen their doors and return back to 2019’s numbers when the lockdown is lifted. A slow climb will take place in my view, though others may have different opinions. Regardless, everyone needs to take precautions; be aware of your environment; and ensure you protect your manpower, yourself, and your clients. Recovery will take place one step at a time. Hotels need to plan for the future and work closely with local and overseas travel partners. Touch base with your partners today to keep the harmony you had going from disappearing. There is a need to rekindle relationships from both sides. You need to say “hello” today and send a more informative email next week. Keeping your establishment alive in their minds is of great importance. Be the first seen; not the last. They may have been wondering where you have you been all this time. You need to keep your name out there to ensure you still have friends once Laos opens. Communicate. COVID Policies and Procedures: There are numerous hospitality polices out there. Discuss with your travel agents and tour companies what they are expecting. Check with local hospitals and the WHO information website for the latest guidelines. A few hotels in Laos have created their own policies based on 2020 updates, that take travelers Covid-safe from the airport to their hotels and back again. Having a solid policy should keep you in line with expectations, and people will have trust in hotels that are ready and have prepared for the future. For a presentation, contact john@wearelao.com. Vehicle Safety My Thai and UK colleagues have asked about safe transportation, as they know about past accidents with buses and travel vans in Laos. Agents will question whether transportation providers – public or private – are insured, and have done safety checks on their vehicles since 2019. Hotel and tour companies need to have answers for safety questions, and be prepared to show back-up information. Public liability is ingrained in travel agents minds. The same applies for river boats and ferries. I wonder how many are insured or have maintained their vessels during Covid. There are so many more questions to answer and factors to look at before we open and move forwards. Again, find out what your clients require. Insurance and Public Liability Insurance Your hotel needs a solid insurance policy. Recently, I have been working as a consultant for a Lao insurance company, APA, and their COO Suthee Vitthayagovit. What I have been finding is a large number of hotels, resorts, entertainment centers, and activities do not have property insurance, and/or public liability coverage. Overseas and local tour companies will request to see your hotel or resort license and proof of your property and public liability coverage. OTAs and Pricing The notorious OTAs are already lurking on the sidelines. They witnessed a huge drop in revenue in Laos, and will try to make this up, as would any company in the world. They have a huge marketing purse, and will entice you to join them. Be careful, and make sure what they offer covers your costs and a lot more. Trying to fill rooms is one thing; keeping your cash flow alive is another, and most properties will not have an adequate cash flow for a while once Laos opens. OTAs may attempt to revise previous contracts that only fit their agenda. Remember this, plenty of properties went with prepayment schemes and now they are looking for their money back due to Covid by crying, “Force majeure.” Meanwhile, establishments still have to pay their staff and stay alive. Those who remained open, have been working with domestic agents and DMCs. These are the partners, who helped you during the hard times, and with whom you should build a stronger bond looking towards the future. Domestic agents participating in “Lao Thiew Lao” are the ones, who kept tourism going, and are the ones you can trust. The same applies both ways. In Conclusion Your goal during reopening is to reduce your losses. To do this: – Work with local travel agents and DMCs, and create a lasting bond. – Do not expect room rates to immediately return to 2019 levels, as you may find yourself with no partners or contracts. – Raising rates must be mutually agreed upon from both sides. – Increase rates over time, and check with your partners on what they are selling, and at what rate to prevent unnecessary losses. – Seek a win-win for both sides during reopening. – Build your occupancy step by step. – Control your manpower and budgets. If you need additional assistance, pleases feel free to drop me an email: john@wearelao.com.
