Survey of Cultural Heritage in 4 Villages of Xieng Louang Village Cluster, Dakcheung District, Sekong Province June 23, 2018 – July 1, 2018
Research statement
In December 2016, ILO and Swisscontact commissioned a study to look at the feasibility of developing ethnic/cultural tourism products in the Bolaven Plateau, Salavan Province, and Sekong Province, that would increase income and employment opportunities for local people. The assessment included a review of relevant documents, an examination of current demand and market constraints as expressed by the private sector, visits to the target communities and areas, and interviews with village representatives.
One of the key recommendations of the study was a cultural inventory in Xieng Louang Cluster, Dakcheung District, Sekong Province, a target area of ILO’s “Rural Employment Promotion for Poverty Reduction” project. Dakcheung has a rich cultural landscape, with Arak, Katu, and Tarieng ethnic groups, beautiful mountain landscapes, and primary forest. Currently, the poor road, river crossing, and lack of an international border checkpoint make significant tourism development in Dakcheung almost impossible. The area sees a handful of adventure tour groups a year, and some FIT tourists with off-road motorbikes or cars. However, it is time-consuming and expensive to visit the area, and there is almost no infrastructure for tourism.
A bridge funded by JICA has recently been completed at Sekong Town across the Sekong River, and the border checkpoint with Vietnam is being upgraded. The road has been slated to be finished for quite some time, but it is unclear when it will be completely paved. There are still many sections that require expensive work, though it is likely to become a more urgent priority when the bridge and border are finished, to facilitate travel to Vietnam. As the Director of the Department of Information, Culture, and Tourism noted, Sekong Town will only be 256km from Danang, a popular coastal resort in Vietnam, and this route will be the fastest way to Vietnam from southern Laos. Once the road, bridge, and border are improved the area will likelyPublication classification
AN Other book, or book not attributed to Deakin UniversityPublisher
Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre, Luang Prabang, Lao PDR
