Laos Wins Spotlight Award
Monday, 29 Sep, 2009
0
Ecotourism Laos was declared the winner of Planeta.com’s annual Ecotourism Spotlight Award for the third consecutive year with 41.3% of the vote in an announcement to underscore best practices from government institutions during yesterday’s World Tourism Day.
In presenting the award, Planeta.com noted that the Lao National Tourism Administration (LNTA) continually revises www.ecotourismlaos.com, which shows how any good website must be regularly updated to maintain its effectiveness.
Ecotourism Laos recently overhauled its growing activities section, expanded the monthly ‘What’s New’ page and added a ‘Virtual Tour of Laos’. A hotel booking engine along with greater use of Web 2.0 tools are in the pipeline.
Steven Schipani, Senior Advisor to the LNTA said: “We put a lot of resources into refining the site’s content in 2008-09. Stay tuned for a range of new information and services in 2010.”
Thaviphet Oula, Deputy Director of the LNTA’s Department of Planning and Cooperation, thanked Planeta.com for establishing the Ecotourism Spotlight Award and offered a special thanks to everyone that supported Ecotourism Laos www.ecotourismlaos.com/ and the other sites nominated this year.
Mr Thaviphet added: “We are very happy to have the honor of being awarded the 2009 Ecotourism Spotlight Award because of the recognition it brings to our efforts in promoting Lao PDR as a top ecotourism destination in Asia.”
The Ecotourism Spotlight Award was developed to create incentives for governments working to support ecotourism and responsible travel, and is open to government websites that engage locals and visitors about ecotourism and responsible travel.
Planeta.com founder Ron Mader www.planeta.com/ecotravel/ron.html said: “Locals and visitors are seeking ways to interact via ecotourism experiences” and added, “The 2009 Award nominees use the Web in highly creative and innovative ways that engage locals and visitors and inspire us all.”
He said that competition was particularly strong this year as many government sites have spent considerable time and resources improving their coverage of ecotourism. The other nominees included ExploreMekong.com’s Responsible Tourism Guide to the Mekong, the Quito Visitors Bureau and Failte Ireland.
Ecotourism Laos is an official site of the LNTA, and was created and is maintained with the support of the LNTA-Asian Development Bank’s Greater Mekong Subregion Sustainable Tourism Development Project.
Valere Tjolle
This month’s big opportunity to ride the downturn: www.travelmole.com/stories/1138679.php
Valere
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Clearing CSS/JS assets' cache... Please wait until this notice disappears...
Updating... Please wait...
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026