FILE PHOTO: Visitors get a close-up view of the limestone outcrops at Phuphamarn in Sept 2025. - Vientiane Times/ANN
VIENTIANE: Laos is strengthening its role in advancing the Asean Ecotourism Standard as part of regional efforts to enhance sustainable, high-quality and responsible tourism towards Asean’s long-term vision for 2045.
Vientiane hosted a programme from November 20-22 to review and reinforce assessment procedures under the Asean Ecotourism Standard, bringing together 25 participants who completed an online introductory module and a field-based assessment.
The session included practical exercises in onsite evaluation, document inspection and scoring methods across key components such as tourism activities, services and facilities.
As the lead country coordinator, Laos has worked closely with the Asia Ecotourism Network, with academic and financial support from the Economic Research Institute for Asean and East Asia and the Asean Tourism Fund.
The initiative aims to ensure that the Standard aligns with Asean’s shared priorities of sustainability, inclusiveness, and quality tourism.
Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism, Darany Phommavongsa, said the initiative is timely as Asean prepares to implement the Asean Tourism Sectoral Plan for 2026-2030, which envisions the region becoming a global leader in quality and responsible tourism by 2045.
She said the Asean Ecotourism Standard is not merely a niche ecotourism effort but a strategic driver of sustainable tourism, human capital development and destination resilience in the face of climate-related and other emerging challenges.
She added that Asean Master Assessors hold a crucial responsibility in safeguarding the integrity of the certification system.
The initiative underscores Laos’ commitment to supporting regional tourism standards and contributing to Asean’s transition towards a more sustainable and competitive tourism landscape.
Tourism in Laos is currently booming, with more than 3.3 million foreign tourists visiting Laos in the first nine months of this year, a 15 per cent rise compared to the same period in 2024, according to the Tourism Development Department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. - Vientiane Times/ANN
