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Laos urged to open doors to Japanese tourists
Laos has the potential to attract many more Japanese tourists, due to the unique and friendly lifestyle of its people, the abundance of cultural heritage sites and the natural beauty of the country, according to a Japanese tourism expert.
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Mr Soukaseum Bodhisane gives the opening address at the tourism forum.
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Executive members of the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) visited Laos to inspect some of the major tourist attractions and meet with tourism industry bodies. The delegation spent three days here from September 8-11, and toured Vientiane and Luang Prabang.
The group took part in a workshop organised by the Lao National Tourism Administration (LNTA) and attended the tourism promotion component of the JICA-ASEAN Laos Pilot Programme.
At the workshop, President and CEO of Jalpak Company Mr Makoto Onishi said Laos has the potential to attract more Japanese tourists.
“As we visited some places in Laos and met with local people, I think that Laos definitely has the potential to attract more Japanese people,” he said.
Mr Onishi said he thinks the number of Japanese visiting Laos is still relatively low, because many people in Japan do not know much about Laos. He encouraged the Lao government to undertake more promotional activities in Japan.
“Our visit is in response to the Visit Lao Year 2012 campaign, and to collect information that we can pass on to the Japanese people,” he said.
The group's visit aims to expand the Japanese tourism market in Laos by looking at destinations and attractions that are popular with European visitors, and creating tour programmes tailored specifically for Japanese tourists. The delegation is also considering increased media exposure in Japan about places of interest in Laos.
LNTA Vice Chairman Mr Soukaseum Bodhisane said the Lao government considers tourism as a very important sector in terms of the country's development.
The income derived from foreign tourists helps to alleviate poverty in rural areas, with a good proportion of tourism dollars flowing directly into the pockets of those who need it most.
“Lao tourism is expanding at a rapid rate,” Mr Soukaseum said. He reported that in 2005, around 1.1 million tourists came to Laos, generating about US$150 million for the sector. By 2010, that number had increased to 2.5 million people, who spent about US$380 million in the country.
“The number of Japanese visitors to Laos is increasing. In 2005, we had about 22,000 Japanese tourists, and in 2010 the number increased to 39,000 people. But compared to neighbouring countries, we are seeing fewer visitors from Japan, so we are planning to conduct more promotional activities,” he said.
By 2015 Laos aims to attract around 3.2 milliom overseas tourists which could earn revenues of about US$615 million, Mr Soukaseum said.
The LNTA has set a target of four million overseas visitors by 2020, which would generate revenues of around US$1 billion.
To be successful, it will be necessary to focus on both the quality and competitiveness of services, and ensure the tourism industry in Laos is both profitable and sustainable, Mr Soukaseum said.
He stressed that human resources were central to all development in Laos, and the tourism industry in particular. “We have more activities planned for coming years,” he said. “Next year Laos will host the Asia-Europe Meeting, while 2012 is also Visit Laos Year.”
JATA established a committee for tourism promotion of the Greater Mekong sub-region in 2009, in accordance with the ‘Visit the World Campaign', which represents the Japanese government's policy on outbound tourism.
Committee members include about 40 major travel agencies, airlines, and international organisations such as the Japan-ASEAN Centre.
vientiane times
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