Paving a Path to Responsible Tourism in Laos

The 11th Lanith Symposium will be held on Friday, 14 February 2014 at the Lao Airlines Building at Wattay International Airport between 13:30-18:00.

The topic of the Symposium will be Paving a Path to Responsible Tourism in Laos.

Tourism is an important sector to Laos and its contribution to the economy has increased significantly in the past decade, creating new opportunities for economic growth and poverty reduction.

However, unmanaged and rapid tourism growth has also resulted in a pattern of tourism that concentrates on a few destinations; threatens natural, cultural, and urban heritage; and contributes to undesirable social impacts.

New opportunities provided by the development of transportation corridors are not being utilized, and the capacity of tourism SMEs to service tourist needs, and of the public sector to sustainably manage growth, are weak.

As a result, the contribution of tourism to poverty reduction and sustainable, inclusive development in the country is limited. Unless addressed, these issues threaten the long-term sustainability of the sector and its ability to contribute to national development.

The keynote presentation will outline how hospitality and tourism companies in Asia can contribute to their bottom line while at the same time doing good. Andrew Jones grew up in the hotel business as his parents managed Country Inns and Restaurants in the United Kingdom. Over the past 40 years, he has worked in numerous senior management and corporate positions for prestigious hotels, resorts and management companies in London, Bermuda, Canada and across Asia.

In 1996, Andrew embarked on a new journey. He founded and became the Guardian of Sanctuary Resorts to offer responsible and sustainable experiences for tourists to rediscover their body, mind and spirit in an environmentally friendly space.

There will also be a presentation on The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and its recently adopted Guidelines for Tour Operators and Hotels, which will be organised by the PATA Laos Chapter. Several Lao-based case studies will be shared in this presentation.