Luang Prabang Film Festival Launches Short Film Competition on Lao Tourism Industry
As part of the Skills for Tourism Project (LAO/029), the Technical and Vocational Education Department of the Ministry of Education and Sports and Luang Prabang Film Festival have launched a new short film competition to celebrate the Lao tourism and hospitality sector.
Recognizing the importance of tourism/hospitality as a key sector for socio-economic development, and to stimulate both international and domestic tourism, the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism designated 2018 Visit Laos Year. In honor of this, Luang Prabang Film Festival is calling on Lao nationals to generate attention for this important industry and to show how a career in tourism and hospitality can allow Lao people to serve as an ambassador for their country.
Co-financed by the governments of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and Switzerland, and implemented by the Ministry of Education and Sports of Lao PDR and the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency (LuxDev), the Skills for Tourism Project promotes sustainable and inclusive growth of the Lao PDR tourism and hospitality sector, thereby contributing to poverty reduction.
“Tourism and hospitality offers excellent employment opportunities for young people with the right knowledge, skills and attitude to work in the sector. One of the aims of the Skills for Tourism Project is to promote employment prospects in the industry, and the associated vocational education and training opportunities that are on offer nationwide,” says Mr Nouphanh Outsa, Director General of the Technical and Vocational Education Department, Ministry of Education and Sports. “We are excited to team up with Luang Prabang Film Festival to promote jobs in tourism and hospitality, not only as a sustainable employment option, but as a career one can be very proud of. Those working in tourism and hospitality are the face of Lao PDR to its visitors, and that’s something we should never forget.”
Any Lao national is encouraged to submit a film about this exciting topic. All submissions that celebrate a career in tourism and hospitality – whether filmed on a smartphone or a video camera – will be accepted.
Up to five submissions will be chosen to be posted on Luang Prabang Film Festival’s Facebook page to compete for viral prizes. The three films that receive the most shares (only from Luang Prabang Film Festival’s official upload) between 1 November 2018 and 15 November 2018 will win $4,000, $3,000, and $2,000 USD for first, second, and third prizes, respectively.
“Good quality technical and vocational education and training is essential for any economy, including Lao PDR, where labor market-oriented skills development is imperative to ensuring people secure employment as a result of their studies,” says Mr. Tony Donovan, Chief Technical Adviser of the Skills for Tourism Project. “We hope that the Ambassador for Your Country short film competition will help bring attention to the wide range of vocational education and training opportunities throughout the country, and the important and rewarding jobs in tourism and hospitality that they lead to.”
To read more about the Ambassador for Your Country short film competition, please see the Call for Submissions, or visit: tinyurl.com/LPFF-Amb
