The
PATA event was a curtain raiser to the Asean Tourism Forum (ATF2013).
Among
150 industry leaders, senior representatives from the Laos PDR Minist
ry of Information, Culture and Tourism attended. The PATA Executive
Board was represented by members Luzi Matzig and Peter Semone. The
event took place at the city's highly popular Khop Chai Deu
restaurant.
PATA
CEO Martin Craigs used the event to emphasise PATA's respected
position as a travel industry advocate to enhance training skills for
people entering tourism, especially younger workers in developing
economies in the Mekong region.
“Laos
is a prime example of a quickly growing destination where the Visitor
Economy needs to be nurtured,” said Craigs. “Political leaders
such as Professor Dr Bosenghkham, the Lao PDR Minister of
Information, Culture and Tourism, understand the importance of
tourism as a force for socio-economic good. I wish government
ministers in Western countries thought the same way,” he said.
Craigs
told the audience that steps were under way to create the PATA Laos
Chapter, the 42 nd in the world. “It is appropriate that one of the
main driving forces in the fledgling Chapter is Alex Tsuk, Managing
Director of the Inthira Group, a major player in the Laotian hotel
and restaurant scene.”
The
CEO added: “I am encouraged to see PATA Next Generation ideas being
created by a new Chapter that understands the importance of travel
industry links through PATA's global chapter network.”
The
PATA CEO told the audience that throughout 2013, the Association will
be aggressively making the case for the Visitor Economy, which is
defined as all economic activities in a destination that benefit from
direct and indirect expenditure from tourism dollars.
In
Laos, according to PATA statistics, the Visitor Economy is estimated
to contribute 18.2% to national GDP, 15.9% to total employment and
9.8% of all capital investments. Within Southeast Asia, Laos is
second only to Cambodia in terms of dependency on travel
and tourism.
According
to the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Lao PDR, the
country attracted 2.4 million international visitor arrivals during
the first nine months of 2012, a year-on-year increase of 12%. PATA
predicts that by the end of 2013 the number will rise to 3.5 million.
“Apart
from entry level training, middle managers in the Visitor Economies
of destinations such as Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam can learn
a lot by attending the new PATAcademy in Bangkok,” said Craigs.
The
CEO told the audience that the PATAcademy was the Association's
innovative six-day workshop for travel industry managers who want to
see the bigger picture and linkages inherent in a healthy Visitor
Economy. PATA intends to hold four such week-long workshops at its
newly created Engagement Hub inside its HQ in Bangkok this year, he
said.
Community
based and environmentally sensitive tourism is vitally important in
Laos. Craigs said: “On the same day that the 44th President of the
United States was committing his administration to being proactive on
climate change, the travel industry audience in Vientiane was
simultaneously reaffirming its commitment to environmental values in
Laos. That's a position I respect,” he said.
