25th SEA Games, Laos

Hospitality businesses in Vientiane have sent staff to a workshop to upgrade their service standards and experience in the lead-up to the 25th SEA Games this December.

Hundreds of employees from various hotels, guesthouses and restaurants in Vientiane gathered at the Vientiane Tourism Department yesterday in Vientiane to participate in the 15th annual workshop on high quality hospitality services.

Department Director, Mr Khampadith Khemmanith said at the opening ceremony that the upcoming SEA Games has increased interest in this year's workshop.

“In previous years there were not so many participants, but hospitality businesses are looking to improve their standards before the nation hosts this important event.”

The workshop is taking place from July 20-24 and will provide participants with the skills and knowledge needed to provide high quality services in hotels, guesthouses and restaurants.

“Some local services are not good compared with international standards, so the workshop will upgrade skills to ensure that guests at the games receive the best services possible,” Mr Khampadith said.

More than 195 hotels have been designated for visiting officials during the games. 90 hotels will be for VIP guests including Lao Plaza , Novotel and Don Chan Palace hotels. “Those have high standards and quality of service and are suitable for VIP guests.”

Around 85 hotels will be set aside for the 2,000 media representatives expected to attend the games.The remainder will be for general tourists.

“We will also prepare almost 180 guesthouses to accommodate visitors during the games,” he said.

“After completing this workshop participants will know how to take care of guests and provide them with excellent services so they enjoy their stay in Laos .”

In the lead-up to the games, tourism officials will inspect the standards of hotels, guesthouses and restaurants to ensure they are hygienic and suitable for guests during the games.

The department will also advise hospitality businesses of suitable prices to charge guests as well as producing guidebooks and improving sightseeing facilities.

Vientianetimes

Photo: Top view of the Main stadium for the Opening ceremony of Vientiane Games 2009

If you want to get information about 25th SEA GAMES in Laos, you can contact the follow department:

Lao SEA Games Organizing Committee

Khouvieng Road, Ban Mixay, Chanthabouly District
Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR
P.O Box 3183
Tel&Fax: (+856-21) 214596
E-mail: seagames@laosoc.com

Secretariat Committee

Dr. Phouthong SENG AKHOM
Tel&Fax: (+856-21) 214596
Head Phone: (+856-20) 9801825
E-mail: secretariat@laosoc.com

Administration and Service Committee

Mr. Somphou PHONGSA
Tel&Fax: (+856-21) 214596
Head Phone: (+856-20) 9801825
E-mail: somphou@laosoc.com

Technical Committee

Mr. Phouvanh VONGSOUTHI
Tel&Fax: (+856-21) 253040
Head Phone : (+856-20) 9801199
E-mail: techc@laosoc.com, phouvanh@laosoc.com

The Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) football club will help train the Laos Under-23 soccer team in the leadup to the Southeast Asian Games in 2009 in Laos.

The Vietnamese club Saturday agreed to support the young Laos team at the suggestion of visiting Laotian Deputy Prime Minister Somvasat Lengsavad.

“We know HAGL is a big football club in Vietnam, with the expertise and facilities to help develop our football team,” Lengsavad said.

“Based on the Vietnamese government’s agreement to help train Laotian athletes to pave the way for SEA Games 2009, we came here with a desire to send the Lao U23 football team to practice in Pleiku (Gia Lai Province) for a long period of time.”

HAGL agreed to provide accommodation, training facilities and allowances to the Laotian football team, club Chairman Doan Nguyen Duc said.

Duc said HAGL hoped it could improve the skills and abilities of the Laos players to boost their chances in the football competition of the 25th SEA Games.

Another reason that the club agreed to help the Laotian football team, according to Duc, was because the HAGL Group was investing more than US$100 million in rubber plantations and others sectors in Laos.

Duc said he wanted to help Laos by training young footballers, as well as recruiting players in the future for the HAGL-Arsenal-JMG Football Institute, a joint venture between the club and UK team Arsenal.

“Thanks to (Vietnamese) Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh’s agreeing to help train 200 (Laotian) athletes in 2007 and 2008, and HAGL’s wholehearted support, we believe that Laos will have the most successful-ever SEA Games,” said Laotian Sports and Gymnastics Minister Phuthong Seng A Khom, who was accompanying the Laos Prime Minister.

The Laos Football Federation will try to complete procedures quickly so the Laos U23 team can start training in Gia Lai early next month, A Khom said.