Lao-Thai tourism software business matching meeting
Lao-Thai tourism software business matching meeting
The Lao Hotels and Restaurants Association joined discussions with the Thai Software Industry Promotion Agency (SIPA) last week during the Asean Tourism Software Business Matching meeting for future cooperation.
The meeting was organised by the Lao-Asean Trading Import-Export Company Limited at the Mercure Hotel in Vientiane.
The objective of the meeting was to allow Lao travel companies, hotels and restaurants in Vientiane to acquire and observe methods and approaches from the Thai ICT and software companies in order to understand the importance and benefits of using digital economy strategies for the tourism industry.
In particular, Thai ITC and software companies introduced their latest innovative products and services, seeking further business collaboration between the two countries in the future.
Member of the Executive Board and Acting President of Thai SIPA, Mr Sopon Vekavakayanondha asserted that “Under the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology of Thailand, SIPA has the role to promote the Thai software industry while we want to build strength in tourism software. Today we are here in Vientiane to see the possibilities to cooperate with Lao travel companies, hotels and restaurants in order to allow our software to support and strengthen their business strategy.”
Mr Sopon said before this meeting recently, SIPA had invited Lao travel companies, hotels and restaurants in Vientiane to Thailand to observe tourism in that country. Today is a follow up meeting to discuss among Lao participants and Thai software companies to find ways to use the software to develop their businesses.
In this regard, as the new behaviour of people has seen them becoming more digitalised, they tend to use smartphones or tablets to navigate for tourism information or to reserve hotels, tours and restaurants.
“I'm pleased to organise this meeting as it plays an important role for us to initiate cooperation on the digital economic strategies for the tourism industry between Laos and Thailand. As we know, at the end of this year, Laos will integrate into the Asean Economic Community which will bring great challenges and opportunities to Laos, especially in the tourism sector.”
“This is because of the richness of natural resources and the uniqueness of traditional culture, so it's important for us to be prepared and manage hospitality businesses by utilising ITC to save time to surf for information, with high efficiency outcomes,” said Managing Director of the Lao-Asean Trading Import-Export Company Limited, Mr Linyo Phanmixay.
Mr Linyo added that the matching meeting would help provide the most up-to-date information, tools, and trends that will support the participants as well as make the most powerful impacts on their organisations and businesses.
Apart from the cooperation, mainly with tour companies, hotels and restaurants, Thai software representatives also discussed with the Lao National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality for future cooperation in putting hospitality software in their curriculum, so that students can work at leading hotels after graduation and are able to use similar software right away.
