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How does IHG implement its strict Green Engage global guidelines in Laos? “It’s hard work to get to where we want to go,” said Crowne Plaza Vientiane General Manager Patria Puyat, “but it can be done.” “Sustainability is the right thing to do,” Ms Puyat said. “It’s part of our daily business.” And topping Crowne … Read more

WeAreLao announced it will soft-launch its “Sustainable Tourism Laos: Showcase” campaign on 8 February, to globally promote Lao businesses, and the destination, as safe and sustainable, and continually keep Laos on the worldwide tourism radar screen during the pandemic. The Showcase campaign will spotlight individual sustainable businesses through magazine-like feature stories, as WeAreLao feels this … Read more

By Bernie Rosenbloom An early January survey of 116 Luang Prabang hotels shows more than 25% remain open. Many suggest the domestic tourism market in the country of 7 million stands at just 150,000 people. Yet, Luang Prabang’s hotel open rate is an achievement considering the country remains closed to foreign tourists. Pullman Luang Prabang … Read more

Centara Hotels & Resorts is jumping into Vang Vieng with fresh management contracts for two riverside hotels. The properties are expected to reopen in late 2021, after they complete their refurbishment programmes. According to TTR Weekly, the deal includes Centara Riverside Resort Vang Vieng (formerly Thavisouk Island Hotel) and Thavisouk Riverside Resort & Spa Vang … Read more

By Bernie Rosenbloom Last week, Lao Derm COO and WeAreLao MD John Williams conducted a survey of 116 hotels in Luang Prabang to discover if they were open or closed. He passed the results to me yesterday, an hour after I wrote Don’t “Delete” Skift’s 2021 Tourism Trends. Skift suggested chain hotels were most likely … Read more

ECC Press Release Our hopes for elephant conservation in Laos increase with the birth of a new boy on Xmas Day! There are so many things that make this a feel-good story. As you may know, the Elephant Conservation Center of Laos has not had too much luck with the previous pregnancies. The last two … Read more

In 2011, tourism development guru, Peter Semone, told the 3rd LANITH Symposium, “Today we will discuss how…to achieve one billion dollars in revenue by 2020.” His crystal ball appeared to be working, as 2019’s take was USD 934,710,409. A 2020 billion-dollar target looked doable. But who is spending how much? Thailand looks good. They generally spend … Read more

“Something is better than nothing” – Ancient Chinese Proverb by Bernie Rosenbloom Covid clobbered tourism and hospitality coffers in 2020. All sizes of businesses took big hits. Plenty shuttered their doors. Others toughed it out and found something to do. WeAreLao joined them. Doing nothing felt naked. Netflix, news, and reruns of sports matches only … Read more

The much-awaited vaccine has started the cellular battle against Covid. Tourists will soon be flooding to newly-opened destinations. One shot and I’m good, right? Wrong. And for once, a doctor responds to a vaccine question with, “Not sure”. Simply put, the main goal of the vaccine is to “prevent widespread death,” said Dr. Michael Ryan, … Read more

Op-Ed: Bernie Rosenbloom Suppose it is 1 Jan 2020, and we’re pouring over the Tourism Development Department’s “2019 Statistical Report on Tourism in Laos”. At a glance, Laos has plenty of reasons to smile. Arrivals jumped 14% to 4,791,065, revenue surged ahead 15.2% towards USD 1 billion, and Green Season is soaring. However, where visitors … Read more