Submission of final report on sustainable tourism in Laos

The conclusions of the feasibility study were presented to the local authorities on 2 August 2007 in the Luang Prabang province offices at a meeting chaired by the Vice Governor. The study was also submitted to the potential funding bodies, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the French Development Agency (FDA), and the Regional Directorate for Cultural Cooperation and Action of the French Embassy in Thailand.

All the partners officially confirmed their interest in this project, which fits perfectly with the national objectives of combating poverty, preserving and promoting natural and cultural resources, and supporting the development of the tourism sector. It is worth recalling that tourism is the main source of foreign currency in Laos.

The potential funding bodies are currently studying the financial proposal for the project produced by the International Rivers and Heritage Institute; the level of financial commitment of each of the funding organisations should be decided by February 2008 at the latest. The project proposal would require less than 2 million dollars (around 1.5 million euros) over a period of 3 years.