Laos has only recently begun to creep onto the agenda for Asia Pacific meetings and incentive
planners. The country offers unspoiled culture and environment, natural service traditions and a timeless sense of yesteryear that is hard to find in Southeast Asia.
But the industry is hampered by limited accommodation, transportation, meetings facilities and international air access that all reduce its potential to host large groups.
“The destination is suitable for workshops, teambuilding and adventure travel in the countryside,” says Annette Monreal, managing director of Asian Trails Laos.
The capital, Vientiane, has the 240-room Don Chan Palace with its 1,200-delegate convention hall overlooking the Mekong River, the 127-room Lao Plaza Hotel and 220-room Novotel Vientiane.
HERITAGE SITE
However, the Unesco World Heritage site of Luang Prabang attracts the lion’s share of
incentive business. Top hotels here include the elegant 78-room Grand Luang Prabang,
32-room La Résidence Phou Vao and the 52-room Villa Santi Resort, decorated in Royal
Lao style with a 200-person conference room.
Size does not matter, according to Cecile Vong, inbound manager Exotissimo Travel Laos, who says that the city’s high-end boutique offerings make it attractive for creative planners. “Any incentive in Laos is a fairytale,” she says, adding that Vientiane properties such as the 30-room French colonial-style Settha Palace, able to handle a 200-delegate conference, and the 34-room Green Park, with a capacity of 50 people, both offer unique options.
Vientiane’s Wattay International Airport has flights to Phnom Penh, Kunming, Yangon, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and the Thai cities of Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Most international flights arrive via Bangkok – flight time 70 minutes – with Thai Airways International flying twice daily.
JUNGLE INCENTIVES
The historic city of Luang Prabang and a handful of boutique hotels across the country make Laos an enticing possibility for creative incentive planners. By David Johnson
