UNESCO Bangkok Regional Unit for Culture in Asia and the Pacific IMPACT: The Effects of Tourism on Culture and the Environ- ment in Asia and the Pacific: Alleviating Poverty and Protecting Cultural and Natural Heritage through Community-Based Eco- tourism in Luang Namtha, Lao PDR Bangkok: UNESCO Bangkok, 2008 viii + 122 p. 1. Cultural tourism. 2. Ecotourism. 3. Culture and development. 4. Sustainable development. 5. Cultural resource management. 6. Cultural heritage conservation. 7. Environmental conservation. 8. Poverty alleviation. 9. Lao PDR. ISBN 978-92-9223-189-7 (Print version) ISBN 978-92-9223-190-3 (Electronic version) Author: Steven Schipani Design: designconscious, Bangkok, Thailand © UNESCO 2008 Published by UNESCO Bangkok Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education Mom Luang Pin Malakul Centenary Building 920 Sukhumvit Road, Prakanong, Klongtoey Bangkok 10110, Thailand Printed in Thailand The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout the publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning its frontiers or boundaries. Acknowledgements IMPACT: The Effects of Tourism on Culture and the Environment in Asia and the Pacific: Alleviating Poverty and Protecting Cultural and Natural Heritage through Community-Based Tourism in Luang Namtha, Lao PDR is the fourth of the IMPACT series launched in 2004 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This work is the result of the cooperation of many institutions and UNESCO would like to thank all those who contributed to this publication: The Government of New Zealand for its generous financial support that made the Nam Ha Ecotourism Project possible, and for its assistance in providing English language training in New Zealand for staff from the Lao National Tourism Administration. The International Finance Corporation for its financial support during the first phase of the project. The Lao National Tourism Administration for contributing statistical data on tourism in Luang Namtha. Luang Namtha’s Department of Information and Culture for contributing information on Luang Namtha’s cultural heritage and history. The Nam Ha Protected Area Management Unit and Wildlife Conservation Society Lao Programme for contributing informa- tion on the Nam Ha National Protected Area. Special thanks to the people of Luang Namtha for sharing informa- tion about the cultural and natural heritage in and around their communities. Steven Schipani, the author, and the team in charge of editing this book including: Vanessa Achilles, Richard Engelhardt, Thaviphet Oula, Heather Peters, Rik Ponne and Khamlay Sipaseuth. Thanks also to those who shared time and expertise: Paul Eshoo, David Feingold, Khamphaeng Kettavong, Guy Marris, Som Pras- ayamongkhoun and Rob Tizard. Photographs are provided courtesy of: Tara Gujadhur, Souksan Pakasy, Steven Schipani, Kees Sprengers, Rob Tizard and the Lao National Tourism Administration. iii Table of Contents Acknowledgements iii Foreword vi Introduction to Luang Namtha A Short History 2 Luang Namtha Today: An Overview 4 Part I: Cultural and Natural Heritage in Luang Namtha A. Understanding the Heritage of Luang Namtha 9 Ethnic Diversity in Luang Namtha: The Foundation of its Living Heritage 9 Festivals and Daily Life 15 Arts, Crafts and Performances 17 Cuisine 21 Built Heritage 22 Natural Heritage 24 B. Heritage Preservation in Luang Namtha 30 Threats to the Cultural and Natural Heritage in Luang Namtha 30 Sustainable Tourism Practices and Policies in Luang Namtha 32 National Legislation System for Heritage Conservation 37 Protected Heritage Values in Luang Namtha 39 Principles in Conservation 41 Community Involvement in Protection and Management 42 Part II: Tourism Impacts and Management in Luang Namtha A. Tourism in Luang Namtha 49 B. Tourism Impacts 54 Impacts on Cultural Heritage 54 Environmental Impact 55 Economic Impact 57 Social Impact 58 Impacts on Policy Changes 61 C. Tourism Management and Planning 62 An Overview of Tourism Management 62 iv Part III: The Nam Ha Community- Based Ecotourism Development Model A. How and Why the Nam Ha E. Ensuring Quality 97 Project Was Initiated 71 F. Expanding the Model 101 B. The Groundwork 72 Identification and Selection of the References Project Implementation Team 72 102 Establishment of a National Supervisory Glossary 104 Committee and Provincial Steering Committee 73 Inaugural Project Meetings 74 Annex A: Community-Based Training for Project Staff in Administration Ecotourism Survey Instruments and Implementation Procedures 75 106 C. Assessing Project Feasibility 75 Community-Based Ecotourism Training in Participatory Appraisal Methodologies 75 Site Selection Matrix 106 Development of Community-Based Visitor Survey 107 Ecotourism Development Survey Tools 76 Community-Based Ecotourism Market Research 78 Village Resource Mapping Exercise 109 Tourism Awareness Village Tourism Resource and Seminar for Policy Makers 79 Capacity Assessment 112 Village-Level Tourism Awareness Seminars 79 Annex B: Visitor Feedback Secondary Logistic Surveys of Potential Tour Circuits 80 Questionnaire 118 Trial Tours 80 D. Making Ecotourism a Reality 83 Training Local Guides 83 Village-Level Hospitality Training 84 Construction of Small-Scale Tourism Support Infrastructure 85 Creation of Local Regulations and Guidelines 86 Promoting the Establishment of Local Inbound Tour Operators 87 Introduction of Village Development Funds, the Tourism Promotion and Development Fund and Protected Area Entry Permits 88 Community-Based Ecotourism Cooperative Agreements 89 Distributing Financial Benefits Widely and Equitably 90 Marketing and Promotion 95 Collaboration with the Private Sector 95 Collaboration with Other Development Partners 96 Gender and Ethnic Minority Participation 97 v Foreword The combined effect of rapid economic development, galloping globalization and the exponential growth of tourism is putting the cultural and natural heritage of Asia and the Pacific at risk. Tangible and intangible features of this heritage are increasingly under siege as the economic and social fabric of various communities once relatively protected are being significantly transformed by stronger economic forces. The physical heritage, cultural expressions and the natural environ- ment of the region are attracting more and more tourists every year. This potential engine for economic and social development is often under great pressure, which may lead to the disappearance of the region’s most special places. However, the impact of tourism in the least developed countries is not always a negative one. Apart from the much needed income generation that external visitors can bring to communities, tourism can also be beneficial, for instance, when it comes to the regenera- tion of fading cultural practices or the maintenance and re-use of the built heritage and it should be considered as an opportunity if managed sustainably. Building on this assumption, UNESCO has worked closely with the Government of Lao PDR to develop a community-based ecological and natural tourism approach in the Nam Ha National Protected Area (NPA) in Luang Namtha province that has become a model for poverty alleviation and cultural and natural preservation around the Asia-Pacific region. The Nam Ha Ecotourism Project was launched in 1999 with finan- cial support from the Government of New Zealand by the Office of the UNESCO Regional Advisor for Culture in Asia and the Pacific in cooperation with the Lao National Tourism Administration, the Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s Department of Forest Resource Conservation and the Ministry of Information and Cul- ture’s Department of Archaeology and Museums. vi The project has focused on twenty-five villages located inside the NPA, mostly belonging to the Akha, Hmong, Kmhmu and Lant- en ethnic groups. Community-based ecotourism has provided a means for the villagers to remain in their villages, continue to use forest products sustainably and also generate alternate forms of income to compensate for the loss of some traditional means of subsistence. The economic benefits that local communities derive from the culture and nature tours developed by the project result from their direct involvement in the planning, development and management of such programmes. The Nam Ha Ecotourism model has met with great success and has been endorsed by the Government of Lao PDR, the private sector and the tourism industry as a whole. The project was recognized with a United Nations Development Award for Poverty Alleviation in Lao PDR in 2001, a British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Award in 2002, and was a finalist for the 2006 United Nations Equator Prize. The project approach has now been adapted for implementation in other provinces in Lao PDR and in the Greater Mekong Sub-region. IMPACT: The Effects of Tourism on Culture and the Environment in Asia and the Pacific: Alleviating Poverty and Protecting Cultural and Natural Heritage through Community-Based Ecotourism in Luang Namtha, Lao PDR has been published in order to share the methodologies developed through the project and to assess the lessons learned from implementation in the field. We hope the publication will prove useful to those involved in both the private and public sectors in the fields of ecotourism, heritage conservation and socio-economic development, and will inspire future initiatives aimed