Laos to Host ASEAN Ecotourism Forum on 22-25 June 2016

Pakse in southern Laos will host the ASEAN Ecotourism Forum 2016 on 22-25 June 2016.

The event, organised by the Lao PDR government in its role as chairman of ASEAN in 2016, includes a two-day conference with an ASEAN ministerial roundtable, followed by a choice of two tours in southern Laos, one of them to Khone Pahpheng, the world’s widest waterfall.

The forum will address the theme, “ASEAN Without Borders: a Roadmap for Strategic Development of Ecotourism Clusters and Tourism Corridors”.

At the end, tourism ministers will adopt a Pakse declaration that will aim to align the region’s ecotourism destinations. The declaration will call for an ASEAN coordinated roadmap for both public and private sectors to pool resources and unlock economic opportunities along designated tourism corridors. The aim is to stimulate the flow of ecotourism tourists across borders whether by land, river, air or sea.

“Intra-ASEAN travel will help to generate economies of scope and scale, especially in the rural areas and strengthen the sustainability of ASEAN's ecotourism industry,” said Dr. Bosengkham Vongdara, Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Lao PDR. “The forum comes at an opportune time for international tourism investors, developers and operators to tap in to the exciting tourism opportunities ahead in the region.”

Speakers from institutions such as the World Wildlife Fund, the Adventure Travel Trade Association, the Asian Development Bank, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and Birdlife International will attend the forum.

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