Luang Prabang training to strengthen tourism industry

LUANG PRABANG (ILO News) - Representatives of the Lao Government, Lao Workers' and Employers' organizations are taking part in a Training of Trainers programme to improve skills and practices in the tourism sector.

The five-day training is being held in Luang Prabang from 23-27 July 2012. It aims to develop more local trainers and strengthen their facilitation skills, so that they can in turn train hotel staff and managers in Luang Prabang. The training is organised by Provincial Industry and Commerce Office, the Luang Prabang Hotels and Restaurant Association and the International Labour Organization (ILO).

The training is part of a project, "Enhancing sustainable tourism, clean production and export capacity in Lao PDR" which is designed to help develop a competitive tourism industry, strengthen organic agriculture and the handicraft industries (particularly the silk industry). The project’s overall aim is to improve both the quality and volume of export goods, so reducing poverty in targeted provinces Lao PDR, including Luang Prabang.

The project, which is supported by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), has five overall “outcomes”, responsibility for which is being shared by a number of United Nations agencies, according to their areas of expertise.

The ILO’s input focuses on improving management practices, workplace cooperation, worker skills and productivity in the tourism sector. As part of this work the ILO and its local partners are developing a ‘toolbox’ which consists of interactive PDF and a “Good Practices Guide for Guesthouses and Small Hotels” that will help owners improve their operations. The project will also train 11 local trainers to support the information in the new toolbox.

Other aspects of the ILO’s work will include an assessment of currently available skills and training needs and support for training institutions to ensure their curriculums are in line with both skill needs and regionally-recognized competency standards for the tourism sector.

Those attending the training included representatives from Souphanouvong University, the Provincial Industry and Commerce Office, the Luang Prabang Hotels and Restaurants Association, the Lao Federation of Trade Unions, the Department of Labour and Social Welfare, the Department of Information, Culture and Tourism, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment and the Luang Prabang Technical Vocational School. These representatives are the targeted trainers who will support the delivery of the toolbox.

The ILO is the specialized agency of the United Nations that deals with labour and work-related issues. The ILO’s unique tripartite structure brings together representatives of governments, employers and workers to jointly shape policies and programmes promoting Decent Work for All. In Lao PDR the tripartite constituents are represented by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, the Lao Federation of Trade Unions and the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

For more information please contact:

Ms. Bounthavivanh Mixap
National Project Coordinator
Luang Prabang, Lao PDR
Tel: (020) 7789 7221
Email: