Businesses urged to improve services for Chinese tourists 

Tourism-related businesses should make adjustments for the additional Chinese tourists that the government expects will visit this year, a leading business figure says.
Vice President of the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr Daovone Phachanthavong, told Vientiane Times last week that hotels, restaurants, guesthouses and travel agents should try to deliver services at prices that will meet with the expectations of Chinese visitors.
“Chinese people like to shop in Laos but local businesses struggle to provide food and goods that are to their liking,” he said, adding that there is definitely room for improvement in terms of customer service.
Laos and China officially launched Visit Laos-China Year 2019 at the National Culture Hall in Vientiane last Friday. It is hoped the two countries will become more enticing holiday destinations as a result of the campaign.
Officials expect 1 million Chinese tourists out of an overall total of 5 million to visit Laos this year.
According to Mr Daovone, service providers learning some Chinese language would help customer relations.  Understanding Chinese food and fashion preferences would also be helpful.
If good service is provided, it means Chinese visitors will be more likely to return in the future.
When asked what the government should do to encourage more Chinese to come to Laos this year, Mr Daovone said incentives should be offered.  “Some neighbouring countries already offer visa or visa fee exemptions to Chinese nationals,” he said.
Mr Daovone said he hoped officials from both countries will have in-depth discussions to maximise the benefits which might come from Visit Laos-China Year 2019. President of the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr Oudet Souvannavong, said the government and business operators should coordinate in such things as putting up Chinese language signs at tourist sites.  Information brochures written in Chinese should also be provided.
DuringVisit Laos Year 2018, more than 800,000 Chinese nationals visited Laos. This was an increase of 26 percent over the previous year.
More than 4.1 million visitors came to Laos overall which was 8.2 percent more than in 2017, according to the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism.

By Siladda Souliyong
(Latest Update January 28, 2019)