How does the destination progress?

Edouard George – For several years, the number of visitors keep growing in Luang Prabang. The hotel offer is getting more and more important as well as the number of flights. The airport was recently renewed and can now receive twin jet like A320 which enable us to offer luxurious incentive travels by example.

What type of activities do you offer to these groups?

E.G. – We offer several activities based on Buddhism including meditation work group, visit of temples and meeting with monks. We also base our offers on the development of villages by helping them to build schools or by being involved in social activities. By example, with some clients, we built piscicultural ponds for a religious institution. Mekong Delta is also one of the essential point of our journeys. Even if the river is unpredictable with levels of water that change every time, it is still pleasant to fish, to have dinner at the edge of the water or even to ride elephants.

All the directors of hotels we met indicated a very low filling during the low season. How is it possible to improve this situation?

E.G. – Everyone think that during the rainy season it rains all day long. This is very wrong: an average of 1h thunderstorm a day only. We work hard to change this perception but habits are difficult to convert. Still, you also have to know that during what is considered as the best period, from November to February, the weather can be cold and fogy.

In order not to pervert Luang Prabang, would a better distribution of travelers be the solution?

E.G. - Of course. Luang Prabang will be soon saturated. An annual distribution, more homogeneous, is an ideal solution if it doesn’t add any additional cost or influences customer’s satisfaction. Moreover, during winter, pictures are more beautiful, the green of vegetation is more intense and the Mekong water is wilder.

What are the projects regarding the development of this destination?

E.G. – We are examining several projects including ecotourism with forest lodges as well as the preservation of the balance between urban development and ethnic villages.