Circus hopes to turn a trick with tour companies
Circus hopes to turn a trick with tour companies
The Lao National Circus known as Hongkayasin is seeking to cooperate with tour companies in an effort to attract more visitors to its acrobat shows in response to growth in the tourism industry.
The cooperation is also aimed to ensure its business viability going forward by boosting audience numbers.
Director of the Lao National Circus, Mr Khamlek Souchanthalavong explained this week that the plan to expand its business with tour agencies in neighbouring Thailand as well as with local tour companies.
The national circus is currently cooperating with Lao Chalernsin Company to develop a marketing strategy.
It is also seeking to do deals with representatives of the tour companies and encourage them to include the circus in their tour packages as this would help to raise the Lao acrobats' profiles.
Recently, circus management also held two press conferences in Thailand to promote its shows but there is still a lack of tourists coming and it may not meet its audience goals, Mr Khamlek acknowledged.
He offered to review the circus' marketing strategy but he accepted that it might be difficult to attract tourists to the shows because most people come to Laos for its traditional culture and natural environment. He said Vietnam is also failing in this regard.
However, the circus is looking forward to improving its acrobat shows to reach foreign tourists' expectations such as performing Lao drama mixed with the circus shows to make it more appealing and offer a different experience for tourists.
At present, Honhkayasin operates two shows per weekend and its audience numbers are steadily increasing. Since it reopened last month its gate takings have increased from 2 million to 5-6 million kip.
Mr Khamlek said he believes that if they can successfully negotiate deals with tour companies the circus business will boom again.
The Lao National Circus was established in 1986, primarily supported by the former Soviet Union.Performances were sporadically scheduled at first, through increasing in the early 1990s, during which time the Lao acrobats had the chance to perform in Vietnam, the Soviet Union, Cambodia and France.
vientiane times
