Laos strengthened its role in advancing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Ecotourism Standard, actively promoting sustainable, high - quality and responsible tourism and ecotourism by investing in sustainable infrastructure, providing incentives for private investment in protected areas, and developing nature - based experiences that benefit local communities and support environmental conservation.
The government’s efforts include establishing new regulations supporting local businesses and cultural preservation, and working with international partners like the World Bank.
The successful Laos' strategy leverages the country’s abundant natural resources, ethnic diversity, and cultural heritage to support sustainable development and has been implementing ecotourism initiatives at both national and regional levels to balance economic growth with environmental and cultural preservation.
Examples include developing ecotourism in areas like Nam Et - Phou Louey National Park and the Bolaven Plateau, as well as working with communities to offer authentic experiences like learning traditional crafts.
Key components of Laos’s ecotourism strategy involve creating a solid and direct link between tourism, conservation, and local community benefits. The government and private sector collaborate with international partners and non - governmental organizations (NGOs) to develop and manage initiatives.
Within the ASEAN framework, Laos is strengthening ecotourism implementing the ASEAN Ecotourism Standard, a comprehensive framework with nine themes : Adaptive Management, Sustainable Use, Safeguard, Community Welfare, Stakeholder Awareness, Leveraging Appreciation, Quality Experience, Partnership and Collaboration, and Safety and Security.
These themes, broken down into 65 criteria, aim to ensure the ecotourism maximizes benefits, minimizes negative impacts, and promotes sustainability in terms of natural conservation, cultural heritage preservation, and local economic benefits, and this is part of a broader vision to position the region as a global leader in quality, responsible tourism.
Vientiane, the capital and largest city of Laos hosted a programme aimed at reviewing assessment procedures under this standard with the participation of 25 professionals who carried out a practical assessment in the field.
The activity included practical on - site assessment exercise. Document inspection and scoring methods focused on key components such as tourism activities, services and infrastructure.
Laos, as the project’s coordinating country, worked closely with the Asian Ecotourism Network, and received academic and financial support from the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia and the regional Tourism Fund.
The initiative seeks to ensure that the standard is aligned with the Association’s priorities in terms of sustainability, inclusion and tourism quality, within its plan to position itself as a global leader in ecotourism by 2045.
Link
https://infoturlatam.com/laos-promueve-desarrollo-del-ecoturismo-en-el-sudeste-asiatico/
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