Viengxay Tourism Case

Using internet and other media sources, identify a tourism project that is designed to alleviate poverty. Identify the type of pro-poor strategy that is being used and draft a list of possible issues that may affect the success of the project.

Introduction

Nowadays, the countries of the world are becoming increasingly integrated in a way unprecedented in history. Through advancement in technology, the movement of goods and services has exploded. Tourists can travel to any country in the world which has become the factors in the dramatic rise of tourism in the developing world. There are still many countries in the world need the process of planning and development in tourism industry. This is because tourism has being the world's largest industry and the livelihoods and prosperity it can bring to destinations. While, pro poor tourism is to set up a developing in the countries as a means to improve the local economy for local people. On the other hand, pro poor tourism also can define as to improve the livelihood opportunities for local people. It enhances the linkages between tourism and the poor people in certain countries, so that poverty is reduce and poor people are able to participate more effectively in the tourism development. The level of poverty in certain area of countries was low but they may have the rich of socially and culturally in destination. By using those tourism "wealth", tourist and tourism business are able to assist the economically poor by stimulating local economic development and increasing livelihood opportunities. According to Pro-Poor Tourism Partnership, it has been defined simply as "tourism that results in increased benefits for poor people". Pro poor tourism is not a specific product or sector of tourism but it is an approach.

Viengxay's Background

Viengxay is a district within Houaphanh Province, a largely unspoiled and undeveloped remote forested region of Laos. Before the Second World War, there was no such place as Viengxay. In 1970, the area was named as Viengxay or "City of Victory" and today, Viengxay is known as the birthplace of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The most distinguishing landscape feature of Viengxay is a complex of limestone caves. Laos holds the sad record of being the most heavily bombed nation in the history. During the US and Vietnam's war from 1964 until 1973, Laos was drawn into a "secret war". The country was divided into two camps which were the United State supported royalist army and the Lao Communist party troops. Because of its inaccessibility, the Lao Communist Party used Viengxay as their headquarters and soon Viengxay has became a key of United State bombing target. There were over two million tons of bombs were dropped on Laos. This bombing continue to affect the lives of people in Laos today. Through the bombing, they have chosen the landscape of limestone honeycombed with caves which was about 7km from Xieng Xeu. According to Laos Opens Wartime "Cave City" to Tourism, to escape the bombardment, over 23,00 peoples hid in up to 480 caves in Viengxay for nine years. The landscape has protected them from the bombing and they began to build the "hidden city" in Laos. For families living in Viengxay during the conflict life could be hard and for children growing up in and around the caves, their daily life was restrictive. The voice of Viengxay oral history project was established to record memories of Viengxay during the war. After the war, the caves were abandoned and it was not until the late 1990s that a few caves were re-opened for visitors. Because of this significant historical feature, the President of Laos designed Viengxay as a National Heritage Site in year 2005.

Strategic and outcome

Tourism is still in the very early stages of development in Viengxay which with a very low traffic and involvement of local people. For example, in the earliest stage of Viengxay, there were only four guesthouses with 30 rooms with a restaurant in the whole Viengxay town. Tourism is also a relatively unknown concept for the local peoples in Viengxay. There were many local peoples still do not understand about tourism and the motivation of tourists or visitors. So, the pro poor tourism project in Viengxay will help the local peoples reduced their poverty level and even their living standard.

According to Mott MacDonald, it mentions that there are some of the pro poor tourism's chief outcomes. Infrastructure improvement played an important role for the local people through the pro poor tourism. This is because the pro poor tourism needs to fulfill the tourism goals and the tourist needs. For example, the improvements of transportation, creation of toilets, provide clean water, foods and others facilities. Besides that, the accommodations have been encouraged visitors to stay a few days in Viengxay. Improvement of the museum in Viengxay also important fact because pro poor tourism should provided potential visitors with a more holistic and embodied experiences to the visitors so that they will return visit Viengxay. Increasing overnight visitation was an important key strategy to help the local peoples. The local peoples can provide visitors with a fragment of village life through their traditional dances, local handmade souvenirs, cooking traditional class to creating an interest on visitors.

The importance of conserving and protecting the natural habitat or culture of Viengxay is central to ensuring