Tourism Management Based on Culture and Religion in ASEAN Country: A Case Study of Luang Prabang, Lao PDR

Abstract

The purposes of this research were 1) to study general tourism conditions in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR, 2) to study tourism management based on culture and religion in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR, and 3) to propose a learning package for tourism management based on culture and religion in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR. Qualitative research from documentary study and area studies with interviews were used for data collection in Luang Prabang, Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Research results indicated that tourism management in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR consists of 1) tourism management under the culture, natural way and culture preparation for the benefit of promoting the overall national income of Lao PDR. 2) The tourism management model is a tourism management under the culture, religious and tradition, way of life and nature, such as tourism in temples, tourism in cultural ways such as Songkran, offering food to monks, and religious architecture. 3) Learning packages for tourism management based on culture and religion in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR, has been managed by the state in order to promote and co-ordinate with tourism-oriented religious places. These artifacts and religious traditions are linked to other tourism sources including nature, forests, waterfalls and mountains that focus on promoting spiritual tourism that sees the importance of tourism areas
that has both knowledge Spirit of religious places and that ritual and lead to the spiritual value of tourism. This will lead to peaceful coexistence which is due to the culture of Lao Buddhist way at Luang Prabang.