A question to the MICT here in Lao PDR along with the Department of civil aviation?
There is a lot of buzz all around with questions of why we don’t bring additional low-cost airlines into Laos from various destinations, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Hong Kong one of my favorites where we tried and failed due to one signature humm, many moons ago!
We read that there is a revival in Luang Prabang with the Korean Travel agents. And donors to try and drive Tourism back into Lao PDR.
Its ok that Thomas the tank engine is rolling in from China and this will help immensely for sure, some hotels have seen the impact and we hope it will keep rolling, Kunming was a target for Kho Samui and Thailand with charter flights a few years back and was fruitful indeed.
Travel Agents don’t forget to hit the city of Kunming worth an adventure and a gander! No harm in trying as they say!
Will Luang Prabang get it its fair share of charter flights from the Asian countries? Big question if you ask me, there is no whispers in the air at all, a few more regular charters or normal low-cost carriers into Luang Prabang and Vientiane could turn the tide as long as there is a directive from MICT and DCA to bring and make an effort to bring more to the table offer better deals and landing fees.
Result is very clear Laos Need to up its game and support its Tourism sector 1000% , loosing its man power to Thailand and other countries where the salary is double or treble and in some instances picking fruit for 5 or 6 months is equivalent to 1 year or more salary.
The development of new hotels is all around us and now major hotel chains are coming in over the next few years, will our workforce be sufficient the answer in not now, and won’t be in the future.
Do we have ample training academies or schools nope, we are dependent on a few good people out there who are supported through donors to try and support the hotels, restaurants and guest houses and doing a fab job today to bring our standards up and to prepare our manpower.
A few good men & Women Thank you!
Will the arcane system be demolished, and a new direction mapped out for the future?
There must be a solid, sound, and clear directive from top down with the support of the Hospitality Industry and private sector to create something new and unique for the Tourism sector.
We have lost 4 years with the big bug and will take another 4 years to bring some stability and reflection of the 2018 2019 seasons to the surface.
Why say this? Very clear we need to open new routes = more flights into Laos, create synergy and create good domestic packages and deals, example, long haul with Vietnam airlines from Europe was fly domestic with Vietnam airlines 50 USD short haul great offer, great incentives.
This was a killer in Vietnam increased revenue, customers and groups were happy to hop to Hanoi, many countries have taken the system and not re-inventing the wheel its good business!
Let’s talk about my favorite topic the MICE industry very lucrative in every country around us, not so here in Lao PDR.
Hard to get group bookings, need to split groups up – no one wants to do that they come together they go together, you can take groups and add more flights if need be = generating revenue where its required keeping them planes maintained fueled and flying high with Bumbs in seats.
MICE is the fastest way to generate revenue for any destination = wealth for all, hotels are filling up, spending in local markets, local communities. And of course, Beer Laos sales goes up and up!
ATF 2024 big buzz going on here so let’s say a few hundred local DMC Travel agents will come to the table and show case, good for all its worth!
MICT should start a Lao Travel Trade show to be held every year. Same as ITB Singapore, TTM Thailand and MATTA fairs in Malaysia where they are held twice a year, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
Times are evolving and times are changing, and we should change with it, be part of the playing field be known and be seen!
