Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – As a key participant in the advancement of ASEAN ecotourism standards, Laos is actively playing a coordinating role to help the region achieve sustainable, high-quality, and responsible tourism development goals, injecting momentum into the implementation of ASEAN's Long-Term Vision 2045. From November 20th to 22nd, Vientiane, the capital of Laos, successfully hosted the ASEAN Ecotourism Standards Assessment Procedure Review and Enhancement Training Program. 25 participants completed the full training process through online introductory modules and on-site assessment practice.
This training focused on the practical implementation of the standards, including on-site assessment, document verification, and scoring methods for tourism activities and service facilities. The aim was to standardize the assessment process and ensure that ASEAN ecotourism standards align with the shared priorities of sustainable, inclusive, and high-quality tourism development in the region. As the lead coordinating agency, Laos collaborated deeply with the Asian Ecotourism Network during the project implementation, while also receiving academic support from the ASEAN and East Asian Economic Research Institutes and financial support from the ASEAN Tourism Fund, laying a solid foundation for the successful conduct of the training.
Ms. Dhalani Phommavongsak, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism of Laos, stated at the event that this training coincides with the upcoming implementation of the ASEAN Tourism Development Plan 2026-2030, which clearly aims to make ASEAN a global leader in high-quality, responsible tourism by 2045. She emphasized that ASEAN ecotourism standards are not a niche initiative, but a strategic support for promoting sustainable tourism development, strengthening human capital, and helping tourist destinations address climate change and emerging challenges. The ASEAN Chief Assessor bears the core responsibility of maintaining the integrity of the certification system.
This training initiative fully demonstrates Laos's firm commitment to supporting the unification of regional tourism standards and facilitating the transformation of ASEAN tourism towards a more sustainable and competitive landscape. According to statistics from the Tourism Development Department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Laos, the Lao tourism industry is currently experiencing strong growth, with over 3.3 million foreign tourists arriving in the first nine months of 2025, a 15% increase compared to the same period in 2024. The improvement of ecotourism standards will further empower the high-quality development of the tourism industry in Laos and ASEAN.
