Yes, no doubt. There is no free lunch.

When we gain something, we have to loose other thing. The question is whether we get more than we loose. If yes, of course we can go ahead, but if no then we need to rethink.

However, the clever people always can turn situation to gaining benefit. Some measures need to be impossed to limit the nagative outcome.

Why can other countries do tourism industries with huge success?

Anonymous wrote:

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From my point of view, it's not spoil. Tourists want to see what other countries cannot offer. Most people going to Luangprabang (LPB) are having a good intention, they want to see the LPB temples, LPB ways of life, learning about Buddhism, experience the uniqueness of the place, making a good virtue (boon) by offering alms (food) to the monks. Both the monks and local businesses are benefit from the tourists. Students who learn English can put the English into practice with the tourists. LPB has so much to offer, without LPB, Laos won't have much tourists, no foreign currency spent in the country, local people won't have jobs, local people will still be poor or poorer. There are more benefits than spoiling the place.

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With so many people showing up, the places get crowded and traffic noise. Also don't forget the thrash al over the place.
Everything become an object for tourist to gawk at even respectable monk. Not to forget the entire place and economy going to focus on tourism. Average citizen might not be able to afford the luxury in their country like the tourist visisting it.

I see this situation as Dignity and Pride versus Money and modernization.

Appently the Lao people threw pride and dignity out of the window.


I am so happy they are reporting this in the media about people speaking out against it.

It is not the Lao Nork that see this but not Lao Nai like the Prince started noticing as well.

I think he is like 1 person against a wave of tsunami. Soon he will be swept away. But I am happy he is out. He got my respect for that.

 

With bigger airport and golf course coming soon. I don't think it is going to stop anytime soon.

Don't get me wrong. I am not against tourism but there should be a way to control the situation.

One part from the article which was referred to:

Luang Prabang has done better in not tearing down its past. UNESCO has kept a close watch after declaring it a World Heritage site in 1995. The agency described the urban jewel as "the best preserved city of Southeast Asia." 

It is really true if compared with other cities in that region such as Siem Reap as mentioned in that article, Chieng Mai in Thailand. It seems to me in that article the author forgot the main actor that has preserved Luang Prabang not being tore down its past. That is Lao government without cooperation of which the UNESCO could not do anything, no doubt.

In fact, Lao government has kept not only Luanprabang, but all our culture, be it Language, culture of dressing, Lao style and so on.
So, I have no doubt that Lao people would be able to keep Luang Prabang in particular and Lao culture as a whole forever. There is strategy and measure to address the bad outcome.