Laos scoops Tourism Alliance Awards

17/10/2009
Business Desk Vientiane Times

Lao tourism service providers won six awards at the 2009 Tourism Alliance Awards at the 2009 International Travel Expo held in Vietnam 's Ho Chi Minh City recently.

Lao Plaza Hotel won luxurious hotel of the year, Don Chan Palace won awards for business and budget hotel of the year, Joma Bakery Café won restaurant of the year, Revertime Resort and Ecolodge won resort hotel of the year and Viengchampa Tour won inbound travel operator of the year.

No Lao businesses submitted entries in the aviation services, domestic tourism agency and massage services categories.

The awards were presented to operators in three countries - Cambodia , Laos and Vietnam - with some of the same awards given to operators in different countries.

According to a press statement from the Lao National Tourism Administration (LNTA), more than 300 tourism businesses from 28 countries attended the expo to seek business cooperation opportunities.

In its fifth year, the sub-region-based expo aims at campaigning and promoting the tourism industry in the three countries of Cambodia , Laos and Vietnam under the theme of “three countries - one tourist destination”, said the statement.

LNTA Vice President Soukkaseum Bodhisane led a delegation of Lao tour and hotel operators, representatives from Lao Airlines and a traditional arts troupe to the event.

The expo provided opportunities for tourism operators to sell and buy tourism-related products and services.

The event promotes tourism-related exchanges between the three countries and on October 2-4 a group of 10 potential customers from other countries took a promotional tour of Laos .

The expo also included discussions to promote investment in tourism in the sub-region.

Topics tabled at the meeting included local-based tourism business promotion, a sub -region tourism master plan, investment opportunities, tourism cooperation, marketing strategies and sustainable touris m.