Lao Women’s Union President, Dr Inlavanh Keobounphanh (third left), Mrs Chanthachone Vongsay (second left), the wife of the Lao President Mrs Naly Sisoulith (centre) and other businesswomen cut ribbons to open the Lao Food Festival.

Mrs Chanthachone Vongsay.

Lao food producers aim for place on international stage

The 19th Lao Food Festival has received a great response from members of the public after opening on January 24, the organisers have said.
Open daily until January 28 from 9am to 10pm at Chao Anouvong Park near the Mekong River, the festival is drawing a large number of locals and foreigners, who come to browse the enticing food stalls and buy a varied selection of products.

This is the first time the festival has taken place without Covid-related restrictions since 2020.
Organised by the Business Women’s Association, the festival not only aims to popularise local dishes among Lao people, but also to promote tourism after Laos reopened to foreign visitors last year.
The President of the Business Women’s Association, Mrs Chanthachone Vongsay, said the annual festival is an opportunity for food producers and restaurant owners to display and sell their products.

“There are 180 stalls this year, of which 162 sell Lao and foreign food, fresh produce and snacks. We invited people from 18 provinces to set up stalls to display and sell items. The other 18 stalls are selling a range of handicrafts,” she said.

Mrs Naly Sisoulith, Mrs Chanthachone Vongsay and other business leaders visit booths at the Lao Food Festival.

Dr Inlavanh Keobounphanh, Mrs Naly Sisoulith and Mrs Chanthachone Vongsay join a group photo during the opening ceremony of the Lao Food Festival.

“I encourage everyone who has not yet visited the festival to come along and enjoy the

many wonderful things on offer, as there is a huge variety of tempting food and snacks to be sampled. There are plenty of places to sit and enjoy the food in comfort,” she added.
Another member of the festival organising committee, Ms Soulikhone Phommavongsa, said the event is a great opportunity to support businesswomen and promote their work.

LNCCI Executive Vice President Mr Daovone Phachanthavong (third left), Vice President of the LNCCI, Ms Valy Vetsaphong (fourth left), Mrs Chanthachone Vongsay (fourth right) at the Lao Food Festival.

By meeting in one place, they are able to share their experiences and discuss ways to improve their products and business operations.
She observed that in the past some did not pay sufficient attention to packaging or offering healthy types of food.
“We advised them to place more emphasis on cleanliness and the appearance of the food they sell. As a result many women have been able to increase sales volume by 20-50 percent,” she said.

“Our goal is to promote Lao food internationally and participate in the World Expo Tokyo in 2025, so we can give foreigners a taste of traditional Lao cuisine.”
Ms Soulikhone also said the festival enables women entrepreneurs to build networks, both across Laos and regionally, so they can raise their standards and access more online markets.
Vice President of the Business Women’s Association, Ms Silikhoun Phoumdavan, said crowds of people have been coming to the festival since it opened on January 24.
“Large groups of people, particularly those working in offices nearby, come for lunch or dinner, while others buy food to take home,” she said.

The festival also features singing, games for children, and activities promoting the products of companies and banks sponsoring the event.
These will be rotated on a central platform accompanied by advertising from noon to late afternoon every day. Also on the programme is a fashion show, so there are plenty of reasons to go along and explore the many activities on offer at this perennially popular festival.
The Business Women’s Association expects about 3-4 billion kip to change hands during the five-day festival.
Since the first Lao Food Festival, food producers have improved the quality of their products while demonstrating their cooking and food preparation skills, and growing their businesses in order to generate more income for their families.
The food festival serves not only to generate income but also to publicise the Lao way of life, in which food takes centre stage. Slowly but surely, the piquant flavours of Lao cuisine are becoming more well known in other countries, which in turn will help to boost tourism and Laos’ economy as a whole.

By Advertorial Desk
 (Latest Update January 27, 2023)