More than 75 of Laos' top hoteliers, tour operators, and travel trade experts met at the 10th Lanith Symposium to learn how MICE tourism can create 'a world of opportunities for Laos.'

According to keynote speaker Dr Glenn McCartney PhD, an assistant professor at the school of Gaming and Hospitality at the University of Macau, who also consults integrated resorts, hotels, and casinos.

During the 30 August, Luxembourg Development-sponsored (Lux-Dev) event, held at Lao Airlines' new Wattay International Airport Office with support from the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), Dr McCartney stressed that the MICE industry is a major revenue earner,  while pointing out that meetings should be "green".

Also during the Lanith (Lao National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality) event, it was announced that the Lao Ministry of Education and Sports has officially accredited the Lux-Dev two-year Lanith Diploma degree initiative, which GIZ Laos Director Armin Hofmann called, "a major step ahead" for Laos' tourism industry.

Dr McCartney told the delegates that collaboration among all travel trade segments and the government is key in creating a successful MICE destination, regardless of the country's size. "Don't make excuses like, ‘We're too small.' Macau is small and within 10 years of embarking on a MICE strategy, went from a rarely visited destination to the 5th top tourism revenue earner in the world."

To accomplish this level of success, Dr McCartney set forth a series of suggestions for Laos to become a prominent player in the MICE business as well as a popular, higher-end tourism destination. Critical to this is maintaining Lao culture, even transportation mainstays like sam lors and sawng taews. "Do not do away with your cultural icons for modern things," he said. 

"Also, though you need a master plan in place, at some point you must stop planning and start implementing. Don't just talk about it; do it."

Dr McCartney went on to list several reasons how MICE can greatly contribute to tourism revenue as well as draw investors from other industries. For example, MICE delegates spend more, stay longer, benefits several businesses beyond hotels and restaurants, encourages leisure travel, and can fill the low season void.

He emphasized that Lao must implement green policies such as recycling now to guarantee environmentally friendly MICE events. He added that China presents a huge market with more than 83 billion outbound travellers a year, though the Lao tourism industry needs to adapt to their requirements including food, language, and signs.

Dr McCartney stressed the necessity for expanding tourism and hospitality training, noting that the two-year Lanith Diploma is an excellent platform for launching bachelor degree and doctorate programmes.

Image perception that MICE bring plays another major role in marketing Laos as a tourism destination. "Many people don't even know where Laos is," Dr McCartney said. "Everyone knows where Las Vegas is because it is one of the top MICE destinations in the world," and it is in the middle of a desert.

"Don't promote what everyone else has like ATM machines, he stressed. "Focus on what you have to offer that no one else has...And don't be afraid to serve authentic Lao food. Too often, restaurants present a less spicy or different version of traditional Lao dishes, but foreigners want to eat an real Lao meal."

Also concerning marketing and promotion, Dr McCartney stated, "Say what you have and say it loud...Turn up the volume...You offer authentic Mekong region experiences and an excellent location, but you cannot promote it alone. It takes collaboration among all stakeholders, including the government."

Dr McCartney further commented on how Laos' relatively high visa fees can have a negative impact on MICE and tourism in general. "I paid USD30 for my visa. This turns off groups as it is expensive, especially considering Thailand charges nothing." He emphasized that for sizeable potential MICE events, this can translate into thousands of dollars, and organizers are looking for the best deal.

He said the government really needs to be involved, as they can actually make more money by lowering visa fees, which will attract high-spending MICE and leisure tourists.

Dr McCartney concluded that offering incentive travel experiences such as team building or rewarding sales people could "be huge. Incentives are big and Lao could blow their mind."