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Tribewanted Target Laos for Next Project
Saturday, 01 Jun, 2010
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Tribewanted are targeting Laos as a third destination to receive their controversial sustainable development model after projects in Vorovoro (Fiji) and Sierra Leone.
The social networking – tourism organization identifies their challenges as:
- increasing responsible tourism and visitor numbers to Viengxay and Lao PDR’s Northern Heritage Route;
- building Tribewanted a sustainable & traditional Lao village close to Viengxay that will host up to 30 visitors for a minimum of week stay at a time, year-round;
- developing adventure tourism opportunities around Viengxay; and,
- sharing the Viengxay story with the world via social media network and TV.
Located in north-eastern Laos close to the Vietnam border and Hanoi, Viengxay is an impoverished scenic village and administrative district that is home to a vast ‘hidden city’ network of 468 caves. Viengxay’s caves provided shelter for local people and the Pathet Lao ‘liberation army’ during nine years of intensive and sustained US bombing during the Vietnam war.
A government in exile built offices, planning rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, hospitals, a theatre, schools, printing works, a supermarket and fuel depots in this hidden city. Although Viengxay currently receives few tourists, the site is a focal point for the Lao National Tourism Administration’s (LNTA) 1,000km new “Northern Heritage Circuit” – a route which embraces what guidebooks describe as the most scenic drive in Laos, with impressive hot-springs and the country’s second largest protected area that is home to around 20 tigers.
Says Tribewanted: “Our goal is to provide sustainable development opportunities for the local village while celebrating local culture and sustaining the biodiversity of the environment. Thanks to the innovative structure of Tribewanted, relatively little development investment is needed; rather, the eco-village grows organically and is self financed as the tourists arrive.”
The organizations investment model projects up to US$585,332 profit for US$ for Tribemember investors of US$150,000 over a five year period with US$287,228 going to the local community.
The original Tribemember project was followed by BBC TV and became a cover story for National Geographic magazine.
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