What can Laos do to make visitors feel welcome?

With the full reopening of Laos to foreign visitors, more and people from around the world are coming here for holidays, especially from neighbouring countries. But many have complained about services, facilities and especially the price of food. Unfortunately, some business owners have hiked their prices to take advantage of the influx of visitors. Vientiane Times asked for people’s thoughts about this situation and what the authorities should do to improve things.

Mr Sit, a government official in Vientiane: Now we have a railway, which makes it easier for people to get around. But we also need to have good plans in place and be well prepared for visitors. Of course, with the price of petrol being so high, this will affect the price of everything that requires transportation. But we should consider what’s fair and appropriate and make sure that Laos retains a good image in the eyes of visitors so that they will want to return. The government departments responsible should carry out checks and penalise those who break the regulations, to set an example. And all sectors of society should work together to make sure that Laos is popular with tourists.

Ms Soukphaphone Sitthivong, a worker in Sikhottabong district, Vientiane: I think the prices of accommodation, food and services should be reduced in order to attract tourists, and new attractions should be widely advertised so that people know what’s out there. Most importantly, all aspects of service should be improved to ensure convenience and safety for both visitors and service providers. If possible, the government should provide a telephone hotline or WhatsApp number that visitors could use to report inflated prices or overcharging, so that the authorities know what’s going on and can take action.

Ms Chanpheng, a resident of Oudomxay province: Business owners face many problems these days because of the weak kip and rising price of fuel, which means they have to raise their prices in order to make a profit and survive. But businesses must also comply with the law and not take advantage of visitors. Word of mouth is hugely important when it comes to tourism, and a business can lose its reputation if complaints about service are made public. Today, everyone can get quick access to all kinds of information, and will quickly know if a business is overcharging or offering poor service. The best thing is for everyone to be conscientious and give visitors a warm welcome. If we can attract more tourists to Laos, this will be a much-needed boost to the economy and will bring in more foreign currency to the country as well.  

Ms Souksamlan, a government official in Champassak province: I’ve been reading online that many tourists are coming to Laos now, especially from Thailand. I’ve seen some posts that talk about Laos in positive terms, while other posts contain negative comments. I think the government should look into what’s happening on the ground and carry out checks. If officials find anyone acting inappropriately, they should warn and fine them, to protect the image of tourism in Laos and prevent the problem from worsening. All Lao people need to act with integrity and make sure that everything in our country is orderly, safe, appealing and praiseworthy.   

By Lamphone Pasanthong
(Latest Update July 25, 2022)