Latest News
HomeColumnsInterviewsDuangmala Phommavong, Managing Director Exotissimo Laos and President PATA Laos Chapter
Interview

Duangmala Phommavong, Managing Director Exotissimo Laos and President PATA Laos Chapter

“We will need to concentrate on promotion and human resources issues”.With the soon-to-be-established PATA Laos Chapter, her future President Duangmala Phommavong speaks about the tasks to be expected for the association.

Announced earlier this year, when will PATA Laos Chapter be officially active?

Duangmala Phommavong
– It is imminent. We are processing with the official registration. We have to get a certain number of Laotian stakeholders in the association to be officially acknowledged. Our mission is to become a benchmark for the most important players of Laos’ tourism sector. And our quantitative objective is to have 50 members after one year existence…

It seems that Laotians are very skeptical about associations. What could PATA Laos Chapter bring to change this perception?

D.P. – Our chapter wants to show that the Private Sector can take initiative and turn into an engine for initiatives in tourism. There is a tendency in Laos to think that all initiatives will come from the State. This is a wrong assumption. We are the professionals, we know our job. And as professionals we have a deep knowledge of the product, of ways also to promote it, of our clients. It is time to show and share our understanding and move forward with initiatives.

Do you perceive some form of resilience of fear to move forward?

D.P. – As I said earlier, there is a tendency to believe that the State should be the one moving first. I believe also there is a kind of lingering fear in the public sector over the private sector overtaking the leadership. We must explain that working together –both public and private sectors- is essential to nurture Laos tourism’s development.
How will you share PATA Laos Chapter knowledge in tourism?
D.P. I believe that promotion and education will be crucial for the future of Laos tourism. As a Chapter with a wide international knowledge, we want to participate in workshops and conferences in Laos and in the Mekong area, be actively involved with universities and private schools in tourism, talk to students and welcome them in our companies to provide them with a real experience of tourism.

What kind of concrete initiatives would you like to develop?

D.P. – I would love to see our chapter deeply active at bridging sectors to create new tourism products. Such as organic farming or handicraft development. These are activities which are able to help to the development of new tourism products. Of course, we must support communities in their projects to highlight Laos as a sustainable tourism destination. At Exotissimo for exemple, we work with a community of musicians in a village near Luang Prabang to keep alive the tradition of manufacturing Laotian music instruments. We bring travellers there during a cruise on the Mekong in Luang Prabang. They enjoy the song and dance‘s performance from villagers. This is a perfect match by bringing an authentic experience for travellers as well as economic and social benefits to communities. They are more initiatives like that one to grasp. Because we should never forget that tourism is all about exchanging experiences among people of various ethnic and social background and brining benefits to all. This is what we should communicate at PATA Laos Chapter.

+ Articles

Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.

29/03/2024
28/03/2024
27/03/2024
26/03/2024
25/03/2024
22/03/2024