-
✴︎
Luang Namtha’s Nam Ha among Asia’s Top Ten for Ecotourism
Nam Ha National Protected Area of Luang Namtha province has recently been named as one of the top ten ecotourism destinations in Asia, according to the website tripstodiscover.com. Nam Ha is a national protected area in northern Luang Namtha province. This mostly forested park is home to a variety of ethnic groups and diverse animal and plant species making it an ideal ecotourism destination. The website’s top ten Asian ecotourism destinations also included: Koh Kong in Cambodia; Ladakh of India; Bhutan; Taman Negara National Park of Malaysia; Sagarmatha National Park , The Himalayas, Nepal; Savaii of Samoa; Donsol and Peleliu of Philippines; Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan, India; and, Way Kambas National Park in Indonesia. The website posted that a company Green Globe rigorously investigates the environmental practices of eco-hotels, and one of the best in Laos is the Boat Landing Guest House. Located in Luang Namtha, this hotel features riverside bungalows and connects visitors with trekking, biking, and rafting opportunities in the nearby protected forests. One of the best ways to see the Nam Ha National Protected Area, an ASEAN Heritage Site, is by taking a trip down the wild Nam Tha River. Follow up your adventure in the local villages by sampling foods collected from the forest and watching local woodsmen at work. Head of the Tourism Section under Luang Namtha provincial Information, Culture and Tourism Department, Mr Somsavath Namintha told Vientiane Times on Tuesday the province has been operating the Nam Ha Eco-Tourism Project (NHETP) since 1999 jointly with the Lao National Tourism Authority and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). “NHETP was funded by New Zealand and Japanese governments through the International Finance Corporation”, he added. Mr Somsavath explained the project has been promoting the private sector, especially local businesses and villagers to develop tourism activities in the province. The project also received an award from the United Nations for poverty reduction in Laos, a British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow award for conservation and protection of the protected area and an Equator Prize for poverty reduction. Interesting activities in Nam Ha National Protected Area include observing wildlife, relaxing at camps and picnicking, kayaking, learning about the lifestyles of villagers at homestays and others. Luang Namtha province has 109 officially designated tourist attractions including 55 natural sites, 44 cultural sites and 10 historic sites. The province recorded 722,192 visitors last year. Some 65 villages are working together to boost tourism development in the province which has 10 hotels and resorts and 98 guesthouses. Source:Vientiane Times By Viengdavanh Banphahaksa
-
✴︎
2,000 year-old Buddha Images Unearthed in Savannakhet
Residents in Savannakhet, Laos recently uncovers hundreds of Buddha images and other ancient relics, estimated at up to 2,000 years old. The discovery was made on the grounds of That Ing Hang Stupa, while carrying out renovations at the site in Kaysone Phomvihane City, Savannakhet Province. The images are made of gold, silver, bronze, wood and other materials and range in height from 8cm to 10cm. All Buddha images, jars and other ancient objects are now being kept in a secure location, according to a provincial Information, Culture and Tourism Department official. In an interview with Vientiane Times yesterday, the department’s Deputy Director Mr Khamsith Phommachanh, said the surprise find is currently being kept securely in the city. “The section’s officials will work with district authorities and other concerned sectors to further study and identify other potential items of interest around the scene,” Mr Khamsith said. The surprise find of Buddha images and other ancient items is the first major archaeological discovery for many years in the city. That Ing Hang Stupa is about nine metres high with ornate decoration. It’s reported to house a relic of Buddha’s spine. The 16th century stupa is located in Savannakhet, central Laos. Savannakhet is famous as the birthplace of Laos’ popular former leader, Kaysone Phomvihane. It was also known as a French trading outpost back in colonial times. There are a number of vintage French colonial and Sino-Franco buildings in the business districts. The sacred stupa is an important place of worship not only for Lao Buddhists but also devotees from northern Thailand. ‘Dress with respect’ is a must for all visitors. Women may be required to wear traditional sinh before entering the temple grounds, according to the department. Open daily from 8am-6pm, the stupa is in That Ing Hang village about 15km north of Kaysone Phomvihane City. Visitors can go there by taking a tuk tuk and taxi for the roundtrip or rent a motorbike. If coming from Thailand, visitors can easily cross the 1.6 km-long Friendship Bridge from Mukdahan province to Laos’ Savannakhet. Source: Vientiane Times
-
✴︎
2018 is looking glum for Lao tourism
Lao PDR’s tourism industry faces the prospect that the country will close its Visit Laos Year promotion with fewer tourists than recorded in 2017. Laos launched its Visit Year 2018 campaign in October 2017 during the ITB Asia trade show in Singapore harbouring hopes that it would kick-start a positive trend in tourist arrivals after a sluggish 2016 performance. But tourism officials are now warning that after the recent dam disaster and heavy monsoon storms causing widespread flooding it is likely tourists arrivals this year will be off the pace by at least 6%. At the start of the Visit Laos 2018 campaign the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism said arrivals could reach 5 million, but that is now very unlikely. In 2017, the country’s tourism industry suffered a major setback as travel arrivals dipped to 3.86 million when compared with 4.23 million in 2016. But the 2017 negative performance was in fact a carry-over from 2016, which closed 10% down on 2015, a banner year that registered 4.6 million visits representing a rise of 12.64. For four years, 2012 to 2015, the nation enjoyed double-digit growth. That has now changed with two years of consecutive declines and the prospect that 2018 will not deliver on its Visit Year campaign promise. Initially, the first six months of 2018 looked promising with officials claiming in May that there had been a small increase in arrivals. However, Vientiane Times said ministry officials are now estimating the first six months of the year delivered “less than 2 million visitors.” Predictions for the second half of the year are not positive either due to heavy flooding and the dam disaster that impacted on advance travel booking trends. Ministry officials, quoted by local newspapers, insisted that the long-term future in tourism remained bright saying it was futile to blame the tourism sector for a failure to achieve development targets. Instead, officials called for a united effort to work as a team and impress visitors with the country’s diverse travel content. But the clarion call for teamwork comes at a time when the country’s rulers introduced a US dollar tourist tax on all visitors effective 1 October. While the amount is not an issue for debate, the timing certainly is, especially as the country enters the last quarter of the Visit Laos Year campaign. It could have waited until after the close of the special year to introduce the tax, while there is plenty of evidence to show that some border checkpoint that should start collecting the fee this week are not yet ready. The ministry’s official tourism website also failed to announce the introduction of the new tax, leaving it up to local media, such as the Vientiane Times and Laotian Times, to inform foreigners. A browse of tourismlaos.org website suggests an absence of relevant information on important subjects such as a tourist tax that could have an impact on international travellers. To its credit, the ministry’s Facebook page had more current information, but it failed to post an announcement on the new tourist tax, which was a glaring oversight. But on special occasions, or during trade shows, the ministry does assume a lead role in communicating new plans and campaigns. One of those occasions is the up-coming annual ITB Asia in Singapore where the ministry will join forces with the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office, the Asia Development Bank (ADB) and GIZ, the German development agency, to launch a new digital travel inspiration platform called ‘Inspiring Laos’. It will be integrated with MTCO’s popular video campaign Mekong Moments. The launch party set for the international trade show on 18 October will also give the MTCO an opportunity to provide details of the Mekong Tourism Forum that will be hosted by Dali, China in 2019. by Don Ross TTR Weekly
