The Lao Association of Travel Agents (LATA) is the representative association for professional tour operators and travel agents in Lao PDR.  The association currently has some 57 members and is expanding.  LATA opened a full office in the LNTA building on Lang Xang Avenue in July 2006 and offers a training and advocacy service to its member travel agents.  Further details are available at www.latalaos.org

The Association is being supported under the EU Asia Invest II programme ‘Marketing Responsible Tourism in Lao PDR’ in partnership with SNV Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) and Leeds Metropolitan University (Leeds Met).  The programme aims to increase the number of innovative packaged responsible tourism products available for sale to European and other tourists.

The Board of Directors of LATA wishes to commission a study to examine the feasibility of establishing a single purchase, commissionable, Luang Prabang ‘Visitor Attractions Passport’ to be sold by travel agents (and others) to groups and individuals wishing to visit multiple attractions in Luang Prabang city and environs.

The contract will assist in strengthening LATA as an effective representative organisation and further the professional operations of LATA member companies through enabling an innovative new product to be sold.   The objective of this assignment is to explore the feasibility of the concept of an all-inclusive Luang Prabang Visitor Attractions Passport, based on international best practice, and to work to establish a consensus amongst interested parties as to the most equitable and practical way of sharing revenues that would result.  The product should include a strong pro-poor tourism element.

The contract will achieve the following objectives: PHASE 1

1. Estimate as far as possible the admission earnings of all major visitor attractions in Luang Prabang which charge an entry fee, including temples and waterfalls.
2. Identify the various ownership interests and beneficiaries from admission income.
3. Examine best practise for all-inclusive multiple site admission tickets, drawing in particular on practical regional examples.
4. Communicate the benefits of such schemes to attractions, the Provincial Tourism Department (PTD) and heritage site operators in Luang Prabang.
5. Recommend an equitable, practical and responsible income-sharing scheme for a Luang Prabang Visitor Attractions Passport, including provision for commissionable sales of the Passport by tour operators and a responsible tourism contribution to poorer elements.
6. Consult widely and consider whether such a scheme would be feasible in Luang Prabang.  Consultations should include the PTD, the  Buddhist sanga, tour operators, UNESCO world heritage site interests and others.
7. Indicate which attractions would be willing to be included in a ‘passport’ scheme.
   
   PHASE 2.
8. Estimate the effect on visitor numbers, admissions income and other income to individual attractions as a result of the introduction of a well marketed passport scheme.
9. Detail how the passport scheme should be managed and marketed, and by whom.
10. Outline a draft Memorandum of Understanding to establish a passport scheme, indicating what parties should be involved.
11. Indicate, in the form of a 5 year income and expenditure account, estimated passport sales income, disbursement of income to attractions, pro-poor contributions, printing and marketing costs and local training needs.  State assumptions regarding growth in visitor numbers.
12. Outline and cost a passport marketing and distribution plan, estimating how many passports are likely to be sold by tour operators, visitor attractions, the PTD and others.
13. Indicate the steps needed to bring such a scheme about and the likely timescale.
14. Indicate and evaluate risks to the project and suggest measures to manage risk.
15. Indicate whether the project will be feasible.

An interim report covering international best practice will be required, and this should be communicated to relevant parties through the consultation process.

A draft final report will be prepared and presented to LATA and other interested parties.