Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – Nam Thoth Waterfall is a renowned natural landscape in Champasak Province, Laos, attracting numerous tourists with its unique and beautiful scenery. The waterfall cascades down a cliff approximately 80 meters high, the water crashing and colliding before flowing into a pool below. The surrounding area is shaded by lush trees, offering a cool and pleasant atmosphere, with verdant vegetation contrasting beautifully with the dark rocks, making it a popular spot for taking photos.
This area's waterfall attraction is not only renowned for its beautiful scenery but also for its well-developed tourism facilities and unique participatory tourism model. To promote the coordinated development of tourism and improve people's livelihoods, the local government encourages residents of 40 main villages and surrounding areas to develop integrated agriculture, cultivating pesticide-free vegetables to provide a stable supply of agricultural products for the scenic area. Simultaneously, local producers' cooperatives have been established, guiding villagers to create handicrafts and weave textiles, which are then sold within the scenic area. Starting in 2026, tea and coffee growers will be encouraged to conduct on-site roasting activities at the scenic area, allowing tourists to experience the entire Lao coffee-making process firsthand and purchase coffee as souvenirs. These initiatives have not only broadened income channels for local residents but also deepened the development of participatory tourism.
Recently, Ms. Somthida Unapong, President of the 40 Tourism Development Company at Tha De Snow Waterfall in Pakse District, detailed the progress of participatory tourism in the area during an interview. She stated that the Tha De Snow Waterfall scenic area currently offers a rich variety of activities. In addition to enjoying the beautiful waterfalls, visitors can witness firsthand the work of people from various ethnic groups during the coffee and tea harvesting season, as well as the process of cultivating pesticide-free vegetables that supply the area. Local producers also showcase and sell handicrafts, textiles, and other specialty products, allowing visitors to deeply experience the clothing culture, language characteristics, and local cuisine of Lao ethnic groups. "Participatory tourism is the core positioning of our scenic area. All measures are aimed at increasing the income of local residents and promoting the deep integration of tourism and community development."
It is worth mentioning that the Tayang Waterfall tourist attraction in Pai Thanh District, Champasak Province, won the 2023-2025 ASEAN Participatory Tourism Standard Award at the 2023 ASEAN Tourism Expo held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The award covers four categories: ASEAN Hotel Standards, ASEAN Community Tourism Standards, ASEAN Spa Service Standards, and ASEAN Public Toilet Standards. Five winning projects are selected for each standard from member countries. Tayang Waterfall is one of the five Lao destinations to win the ASEAN Community Tourism Standards award.
The ASEAN Community Tourism Standards, implemented and awarded since 2018, aims to recognize successful community tourism operators, local service providers, and relevant public and private sectors in ASEAN member countries, encouraging their participation in protecting tourism resources, using environmentally friendly products, and creating employment opportunities for the community. The award evaluation results also serve as a benchmark for measuring the effectiveness of standard implementation, providing a basis for subsequent planning and improvement.
Ms. Sonthida Unapong added that to continuously improve the quality of the scenic area and attract more tourists, in 2026 the scenic area plans to deepen tea and coffee-related experience programs: 20 families will be arranged each week to roast tea on-site using seven roasting ovens, allowing tourists to taste and experience the process while learning about key steps in roasting and processing; freshly picked tea leaves will also be supplied to tea processing plants to further increase factory revenue. In addition, visitors can tour local residents' tea gardens and participate in a variety of agricultural experiences.
