Laos to upgrade quality of tourism to meet regional standards

This picture taken on May 6, 2018 shows local residents and vendors at a night market in Luang Prabang. / AFP PHOTO / Joe Freeman

VIENTIANE — The Lao tourism industry is moving forward with plans to upgrade the standards of staff working in tourism-related areas so they can compete with their counterparts on the Asean and international stages.

This was the message generated last week by a Lao delegation from the Mass Media, Culture and Tourism Institute when attending the Regional Workshop for the Development of Asean Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Tourism Professionals (MRA-TP) Work Plan 2018-2022. 

Also present were representatives from other Asean member states, the Asean Secretariat, Asean-Australian Development Cooperation Programme, and IODP Team Consultant Company from Australia.

According to a report from the Mass Media, Culture and Tourism Institute under the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, the workshop took place in Bangkok from May 31 to June 1, with a focus on developing the work plan for MRA-TP implementation over the five years from 2018-2022.

The meeting also included defining a vision and setting goals and missions to achieve common goals, in order to turn the Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Tourism Professionals into reality among Asean member states.

The initiative is aimed at developing human resources in the tourism industry so that staff are knowledgeable, skillful, and diligent.

This will increase the mobility of certified tourism professionals within the Asean region to meet the needs of the hospitality and tourism sector, provide job opportunities and generate income for the people of Asean, and turn Asean into a single tourism destination.

The workshop was also a benchmark for developing and upgrading the quality of personnel in Laos’ tourism industry so they would gradually become equal in competence to others in the Asean region and further afield.