LUANG PRABANG, Laos, 1 October 2024: The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO), the ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC), and the Lao PDR Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism jointly organised a four-day digital skills training workshop from 24 to 27 September in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR.
Twenty-eight participants from the public and private sectors attended the event entitled, “Enhancing Digital Skills for Women in Tourism Communities in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam – The Training of Trainers.”
The face-to-face workshop addressed key issues such as digital marketing analysis and planning, promoting community-based tourism enterprises online, and developing digital skills training for community-based micro and small tourism businesses such as homestays, guest houses, restaurants, handicraft outlets, and local tour services.
Participants also visited community-based tourism enterprises, assessing their digital needs as real-life case studies.
The ‘training the trainers’ workshop also included sessions on effective resource utilisation, planning, budgeting, and setting goals for digital marketing.
ASEAN-Japan Centre Assistant Director Naoko Fujikawamsaid said digital skills are crucial for the worldwide marketing of tourism products. However, few women in the tourism sector had opportunities to develop their digital marketing skills.
“By empowering these women with the knowledge to connect their local tourism products to the global market, we are supporting their personal growth and nurturing the sustainable development of their communities”.
Lao PDR’s Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism Director General of Tourism Development Phonemaly Inthaphome aid: “Women have the potential to lead and innovate in tourism. By enhancing their digital skills, we are not just investing in individual capabilities but investing in their communities’ future.”
MTCO Executive Director Suvimol ‘Dee’ Thanasarakij noted that women comprised more than half of the tourism workforce in the Greater Mekong Sub-region. However, many were informal labourers with limited access to education and opportunities.
“Through this training, we aim to empower women in local tourism communities with the digital skills needed to strengthen their businesses and gain greater exposure to the global market,” she said.
Fujikawa added: “We believe these participants will become catalysts for change, passing on their knowledge and driving innovation in tourism across their regions.”
After the event, Thanasarakij concluded: “We hope this training will create a ripple effect, with participants passing on their knowledge and skills to others, fostering resilience and growth across the region.”
About Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office
The governments of Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam established the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) in 2006 as a tourism collaboration framework. The MTCO aims to develop and promote the Mekong Region as a single tourism destination.
