Regarding tourist accommodation, the majority of local business
owners have constructed hotels and guesthouses of cement, steel
and corrugated iron that do not incorporate traditional architectural
themes and do not appeal visually to international visitors. This is
one factor that has prevented local hoteliers from accessing higher
spending markets, as is reflected in the international tourist’s daily
average expenditure of a mere US$17 in 2006 (LNTA, 2007b).
Only recently have local business owners in Luang Namtha begun
to understand the tastes of international tourists and a few have
started to construct lodging establishments using local materials
and architectural themes. Some local foods have also started to
appear on the menus of Luang Namtha’s restaurants and have been
The original That Phoum Phouk and its
contemporary counterpart
(Photo: Kees Sprengers)