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LATA News Members satisfied with the Marketing Training The Marketing training in Vientiane and Luang prabang last week (9 -12 and 14 – 17 May) was completed successfully. Many were happy and satisfied with the contents of the training as well as the two professional trainers from UK and Hong Kong. The training received altogether 70 participants from both member and non-member travel companies. Most of the participants are mainly staff working in marketing or related departments, mangers, and director of the company. The training covered various issue concerning marketing and promotions for European markets such as product design and development, marketing research (using market guide), internet marketing, and sales and negotiation. The training also focused on practical approach that based on experience and practices, shared experience including feedback and interaction from the participants, and aimed to offer practical advice and suggestions for marketing to UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands. Majority of participants said that, according to their feedback, the training was very useful, comprehensive and well organized. Some of them said they like the trainers the fact that they spoke slow, gave clear explanation and were very friendly. "I am very happy with this time training and if possible I would like LATA to organize more training similar to this one as this is exactly what we expect and need to improve our travel company", said the participant. Though many positive feedbacks are given, there are still rooms for future improvement if similar training is to be organized. According to their comments, it is suggested that the training should comprise more activities, case study and more exercise; organize a longer training session in order to cover all aspect of marketing. In general, this training was successfully organized and trainees are satisfied with the outcome of the training. LATA appoints new Project Manager Mr. Souksamone PATHAMMAVONG (or Mone) has been appointed recently for a position of LATA-EC project manager. Mr. Mone Graduated from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University , Japan with a Bachelor Degree of Social Science (Major in Asia Pacific Tourism). Between 1993 and 2005, he served as a Lecturer at the Faculty of Law and Political Science, National University of Laos. At the moment, he is working as a Project Assistant for UNDP's Strengthening Access to Justice through Lao Bar Association Project in Vientiane , Lao PDR. However, as of 1 st of July 2007, Mr. Mone will begin his new task as Project Manager at Lao Association of Travel Agents (LATA). He hopes to be able to contribute his experiences in Tourism to support the LATA to achieve its goals and contribute to tourism development in Lao. Please welcome Mr. Mone to the LATA Team and please do not hesitate to contact him at: manager@latalaos.org 20 scholarships for women in travel MASTERCARD Worldwide and online graduate school, U21Global, are offering 20 scholarships to women in travel and tourism across Asia/Pacific, South Africa , Saudi Arabia and UAE. This global scholarship programme is running for the second year with the intent to empower working women professionals in the industry to stay ahead of industry trends and realise their full potential. The programmes comprises 20 scholarships for the U21Global Executive Diploma of Business Administration and targets graduates who want to develop skills in the management and marketing of tourism and travel. Organisations from the industry across Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa will be invited to nominate female employees. MasterCard and U21Global will institute a distinguished panel of judges to choose the 20 worthy recipients For more details visit http://www.u21global.edu.sg/mastercard Nominations for the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2007 are now open! Once again we're relying on you to help us find tourism ventures all over the world that make a positive contribution to conservation and the economies of local communities while minimizing any negative impacts of tourism. Make your nominations by Monday 2 July to be in with a chance to win a holiday to Uganda or Nepal ! For more information about the award please visit: http://www.responsibletourismawards.com/
LAO PDR News Lao-China Road link opens by June 2008 A new road connects the most northern part of Laos to China , and Thailand should open in June, 2008 after almost four years of work. The R3 road, currently under construction, will link Kunming to Bangkok via Laung Namtha and Bokeo provinces in Laos . The Laos News Agency reported that construction is almost 90% complete. The R3 road project runs via Houysai district in Bokeo province and Boten district in Luang Namtha province convering 220 km. It is the last unsealed stretch of highway on the route from Thailand to Kunming . Once it is completed the governments will have to formulise an agreement to ease visa and travel regulations. However considerable effort will be required to ease permits that would allow groups to travel the entire route on a single bus, without the need to change vehicles at the two borders. Chef of Bokeo province's communication, transport department, Loadounheun Thoungkasen, reported that the Lao government was committed to improving this road to meet international standards to allow the convenient and easy flow of traffic to neighbouring countries, in line with the country's master plan. “It will unlock a landlocked country, giving us access by road to China ”, he said. Mr. Loadounheun added that the 200 km stretch of the R3 road is an important economic link for the region, and will also help to improve living conditions of the indigenous people along the route. The Bt1 billion R3 project is being constructed through an agreement signed by Laos , China , and Thailand . Road travel from Thailand , North to Chiang Rai province and across the border to Laos should increase once the road link is in place. Ultimately tour buses could travel all the way through to the Chinese province of Yunnan and to the capital of Kunming . The LNTA says Lao accommodation will be categorised using star standards by 2008. Lao National Tourism Administration, director general for tourism marketing an d promotion department, Saly Phimphinith reported the government is planning to categorise tourist accommodation to improve the country's tourism products to stand at an international level. According to Mr Saly, the government should be able to implement these regulations by the end of 2008. He said, the government will create separate standards for hotels and guesthouses. These two types of accommodation establishments will have their own standards that operators must meet. The government will use international guidelines, particularly ASEAN standards, when applying the regulations. Hotel categories will range from one to five stars, while guesthouses will be labelled with one to three stars. The government will use the quantity of its national flower, Dok Champa, as symbols to show the hotel's rating. According to Mr Saly, once the hotel standard category scheme is implemented, new hotel investors need to state their intended category before construction begins. Currently, the Lao government is encouraging more tourism investment in tourist accommodation by allowing foreign investors 100% control of hotel operations. Mr Saly reported that overseas investors have been showing more interest in building five-star hotels in key tourist destinations. According to Mr Saly, a new five-star hotel project, 100% Thai owned, is under construction in Champassak province. The 100-room hotel is scheduled to open by mid 2008. In central Laos , a new five-star project, locally owned, will add 100 rooms in Savannahket. A Chinese investor has also approached the government to build a sports complex for the SEA Games in 2009, for which Laos is the host country. According to Lao National Tourism Administration, there are 193 hotels nationwide. In Vientiane there are 74 hotels with 2,885 rooms and 4,520 beds. There are also 168 guesthouses with 2,457 rooms with 3,304 beds. Don Chan Palace director Ben Cheok said most visitors to Laos are in the backpacker market and do not have much interest five-star accommodation. However, Vientiane has around 500 five-star rooms. Of those, Don Chan Palace houses 240 rooms. Lao Airlines signals expansion in 2008 Lao Airlines adds more aircraft, eye competition in Pakse with a view to new route options. Lao Airlines expects to take delivery of two turboprop MA-60 aircraft this year, while the government has given the green light to add another ATR-72 to its fleet by 2008. Lao Airlines commercial director, Rada Sunthorn, said two 56-seat Chinese MA-60s scheduled to join the fleet this year will allow the national airline to increase routes and capacity in the Mekong region. The airline currently has fleet of four aircraft, comprised of two MA-60s and two 70-seat ATR-72s. The airline has been operating two MA-60s since last February. According to Mr. Rada, the airline is planning to increase its frequency on its most profitable routes such as Luang Prabang – Chiang Mai. Luang Prabang – Bangkok and Luang Prabang – Siem Reap. He said these routes have provided a load factors of up to 70% during the last two months of the high season. Meanwhile, a third ATR-72 which the Lao government recently approved, is expected to join the fleet by next year. Mr Rada said it would help to sustain capacity on main routes such as Vientiane-Bangkok or luang Prang- Bangkok. According to Mr Rada, the airline is keeping an eye on the performance of newly opened Bangkok-Pakse route operated by Bangkok Airways. It operates just one weekly flight using an ATR-72. “The Bangkok – Pakse sector is a challenging route, because it competes with Thai domestic carriers serving the Bangkok-Ubon Ratchathani. Even though Pakse is considered a new destination for travelers, we can see that most of the visitors, who travel to Pakse, travel overland from Ubon Ratchathani and cross the Lao border at Chong Mek”, said Mr Rada. Ubon Ratchathani's airport is located approximately 90 km from Pakse. Key players on the route include Thai Airways International and low-cost Nok Air and Thai AirAsia Mr Rada said that while Bangkok Airways linked Pase with Siem Reap, using its sister carrier, Siem Reap Airways, Lao Airlines was studying the possibility of connecting Pakse with Vietnam 's coastal town, Danang using its MA 60. “This route could be viable as it would link a rural national park destination in Laos to a popular beach in Vietnam ”. Laos-Vietnam border point opens The long awaited opening of the Muang Khoua-Dienbienphu border between Laos and Vietnam for foreigners took place on May 4. The route links two of the nations' best known destinations -- the steep limestone mountains of the Nam Ou River in Laos and Vietnam 's historic Dienbienphu. A visa on arrival can be obtained at the border checkpoint. Asian Trails is one tour operator creating new overland itineraries using the newly opened border crossing, as well as via Xam Neua/Nameo which is another border crossing located further south. There has recently been difficulty entering Vietnam and Laos at these points from either side. Authorities are asking foreign tourists to show their departure flight tickets and if no such documentation is produced, entry is refused. Malaysia tourism calls for KL-Vientiane service Costly transits hold up traffic between the two Southeast Asia capitals, prompting Malaysia 's tourism ministry to call for direct flights. The Malaysia Tourism Ministry wants either Malaysia Airlines or budget carrier, AirAsia, to operate direct Kuala Lumpur-Vientiane flights to woo more Laotian tourists to Malaysia . Deputy Minister Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai told the local media that the absence of direct flights to Kuala Lumpur forces Laotian tourists to transit at Bangkok , Phnom Penh or Hanoi , which was time-consuming and costly. The deputy minister said the tourism ministry would discuss the matter with the transport ministry to urge Malaysian carriers to start a KL-Vientiane service within the next six months. According to Mr Lim, direct flights to Vientiane could double Laotian tourist arrivals to Malaysia from last year's 4,371. Records show 6,800 Malaysians visited Laos in 2006, up 200 over the previous year. Last year, 4,371 Laotian tourists visited Malaysia , an increase of 124.8% from the 1,944 recorded in 2005.
Regional News Cambodia revamps e-visa process Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has revamped the e-visa application form on its website www.cambodiaevisa.com . Rather than having to apply for a visa at a Cambodian embassy, an applicant completes the online form and pays a US$20 fee plus a US$5 online processing charge via credit card. The approval period for the e-visa is within three business days. It's important to note - as the site indicates -- e-visas can only be used at valid entry points to Cambodia . There are currently five: Phnom Penh International Airport and Siem Reap International Airport for those arriving by air; and for land at Bavet (Svay Rieng-Moc Bai (Tay Ninh) for Cambodia-Vietnam and Cham Yeam (Koh Kong)-Hat Leuk (Trat) and Poi Pet (Banteay Meanchey)-Klo Leuk (Sakaew) for Cambodia-Thailand. The effort to offer a smoother visa application process is part of a restructuring of the entire site, based on feedback garnered over the past year. Enhancements have also seen the site now support more languages, including English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Bahasa Indonesia, French, German, Hungarian, Swedish and Portuguese. Click on to the site at www.cambodiaevisa.com . The recently elected Atta board of directors allocated its administrative tasks to the eight board members according to their skills The eight members of the Atta board of directors have been assigned to take charge of different departments. The members and other related associations from the Federation of Thai Tourism Associations will be invited to join. Atta's president, Apichart Sankary, is responsible for the marketing department, a position he held on the previous board. He said for the new term he would invite the opinions from representatives from five other associations: Fetta, TTAA, ADT, THA and Teata. This will assist in acquiring wider and the most up-to-date information. Vice president, Nino Jotikasthira, was assigned to the foreign affairs department to represent the association at international meetings such Aseanta and PATA, and return with information for members. Vice president, Sumet Kriengchaiyaprug, was appointed head of the service development department, which covers the airport, a field in which he has the most experience. Jumpol Chadavadh, the honorary secretary general, takes charge of the administrative department. He will be responsible for the personnel at Atta's head office and Suvarnabhumi Airport . Surapol Sritrakul, the treasurer, will head the training and development department Three other members - Weera Bumrungsee, Sangiam Ekachote and Prawat Siriboonyasak – have been appointed to respectively lead the destination promotion and environment department, the communication and press department and the tourism technology department. A REPORT released by American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) shows product reputation and quality are what travel agents want from suppliers. This supplier-travel agent relationship survey is the first study of its kind to examine preferred supplier relationships, popular booking channels, incentives and the usefulness of supplier education programmes, from a travel agency's point of view. ASTA president and CEO, Ms Cheryl Hudak, said: "The study shows regardless of a company's size, they all have the tools to engender travel agent loyalty. The key to survival and growth in the industry from the supplier viewpoint is travel agent brand loyalty and a strong, positive reputation." The study also confirmed agents have a tremendous desire to acquire useful information about products that will assist them in matching the product to their client and close the sale. Another finding is that GDS remain the preferred booking vehicle for airline travel. A majority of respondents use preferred suppliers for cruise, car rental and tour bookings. Most cruise bookings are made through the cruise line's 800-number. They prefer to receive special offers from preferred suppliers by e-mail, while GDS sign-in messages rank at the very bottom of the communication preferences |
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