MTF Insights: Tara Gujadhur @ TAEC
Tara is the co-director of the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre (TAEC), which is hosting the MTF’s “Intangible Tourism” session. She attended the 2012 MTF in Pakse, Laos, and heard about the Luang Prabang event from the ADB’s Steven Schipani. Having worked in tourism with development agencies for several years, she has known about the organiser, Mekong Tourism Co-ordinating (MTCO), since its 2006 launch. TAEC is a finalist in the Mekong Innovative Startup Tourism (MIST).
What challenges does Luang Prabang face in hosting a multi-venue event?
It will certainly mean more planning and logistics for the organisers. It also means that attendees can’t move from one session to another halfway, so we may get less attendees.Â
MTF replies: True, as it relates to more planning and more work for the organisers. It is an experiment, and sometimes you have to try something new. If we don’t progress, we will regress. We have tried to match sessions in tracks that are of similar interest. But if somebody doesn’t get one session the first day, because it wasn’t part of the track that he picked because of the interest in a particular session, the delegate can select another track the second afternoon, as all tracks and sessions are repeated on day 2.
What opportunities do you see for your organization in hosting the multi-venue MTF?
We will be able to show our work directly to attendees! It’s a great way to bring people in through our doors and have them see and experience cultural tourism in Luang Prabang.
What is your business, and Luang Prabang, doing to meet any challenges in hosting the MTF?
We haven’t really had to do much — just keeping in touch with the organisers and talking with people to promote the event.
We Are Lao asked several Luang Prabang businesses and organizations about the opportunities & challenges they face in hosting the multi-venue MTF, with MTCO Executive Director Jens Thraenhart, responding. This is the first instalment in the series.
