Do’s Don’ts Eat with the tourists, with good table manners Make sure all tourists have food before you start to eat Ask tourists what sort of food they would like to eat, and (more specifically) recommend different foods/places to eat Ask the tourists to re-use their plastic water bottles if possible (advise them to re-fill at the hotel or restaurant) Understand tourist allergies (common with Westerners) Chew chewing gum Drink alcohol during working hours – a small drink at dinner is alright, but check with tourist group first Smoke in sight of tourists Eat very smelly food in the presence of clients (e.g. durian), unless the tourist group have said they are ok with this Make loud noises while eating (a common sign of good manners in Asia, yet a sign of poor manners with Westerners) What are allergies? A negative reaction by the body to certain foods, most often nuts (peanuts), flour (wheat flour), eggs, or food made from milk. Eating these items may make the person very sick. Allergies can also be a reaction by the body to some insects (e.g. bees), animals (e.g. cats) and plants (e.g. pollen). What to do: if any tourists have allergies; Ask the tourist if they have their allergy medicine with them on the tour before they leave on the tour; Call the restaurant the day before arriving and tell them about the tourist’s food allergies; Help the tourists to choose foods that do not contain the ingredients that they are allergic to; Ask the restaurant if any of the ingredients they are allergic to is in any of the dishes on the menu; Watch out for non-food allergies (e.g. bees, animal fur, etc.) when on the tour, so you can keep the tourist away from these things that they are also allergic to; Keep an allergy chart with pictures on to help understand tourists’ allergies. Cell Phones Do’s Don’ts Answer professionally and clearly with your name and a suitable greeting E.g. Sabaidee, Sone speaking”. Only take business and emergency calls Answer the phone with only ‘hello/sabaidee’ unless you know the caller and it is personal. Take personal calls; chat to friends on the phone while on duty (during tour time)
Think about the needs of the environment and the people in the community: Do not operate at times/on days that communities see as ‘restricted’ in some way (e.g. because of religious or other beliefs, due to local customs and traditions) Do not areas that the community says are private or sacred Walk only on proper Do not go too close to some animals, activities, people, buildings or other special events Ask tourists not to look at and/or interfere in certain activities – or start talking to local people unless you say it is okay. Tell and show tourists important local manners – and what is normal and acceptable, as well as what is not allowed or might upset the local people Don’t let too many tourists enter an area at once – so that they don’t have a bad effect and so that they don’t interfere with normal activities Ask tourists not to stare at locals Tell tourists to ask before taking photographs – or tell them not to take cameras or cell phones into certain areas The Environment The earth is in big trouble, and many developed countries know about the problems that are affecting the planet. People from these countries usually think about how their actions affect the environment, and will notice these things when travelling in Laos. The issues are: Environmental problem What is it? Global Warming The earth’s temperature is increasing (getting hotter) because of more greenhouse gases in the air, especially carbon dioxide. We can fight global warming by doing fewer activities that make greenhouse gases – e.g. leaving lights on, running air conditioners when not in rooms, etc. Save energy! Climate change Global warming causes extreme weather conditions – droughts, floods, huge storms, etc. Laos: effects: hotter days, floods and droughts, fires, landslides, erosion, tropical storms, and disease epidemics. Example: Mekong flooding in Vientiane in 2008, then a drought of the river climate change: save energy and water, and recycle rubbish Conservation Many places in the world are very dry. Even countries with lots of water have to clean the water so that it is safe for drinking. This costs money and electricity, leading to greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere Save water!
Biodiversity and habitat destruction Many types of animals, plants, fish, birds etc. are dying out due to their habitats (places where they live) being destroyed – or from global warming. global warming! Protect all living things: don’t pollute the environment and protect habitats! Waste management Rubbish has a huge effect on the environment – it poisons the ground, air and water. Don’t litter! Reduce, reuse, recycle: save resources and energy: Do not throw things away but rather use them again in some way Encourage your tour group to use less plastic bags and plastic bottles, IDEA: ask your Tour Operator to think about ways to save on plastic bottles because travellers use thousands of plastic water bottles each year. What about giving them a branded, refillable, water bottle at the beginning of a tour? The tour guide and tourist must not do things that can damage or harm the environment in any way. Do’s Don’ts Only take photos Only leave footprints Buy souvenirs or products made from local and renewable products Keep litter in the vehicle to throw away in a proper garbage can Pick up your rubbish, and even someone else’s! Take natural items as souvenirs: shells, rocks, plants, animal products Buy wildlife products, especially from endangered animals (these are animals that have very few left in the world and in Laos) Leave anything behind, like rubbish in any form! No water bottles, Coke/ cold-drink cans, cigarette butts, chewing gum, snack packets, etc. Damage the natural environment: break trees, pollute water sources Throw anything out of the vehicle! Waste water electrical equipment running – lights, fans, air-conditioners, etc. where no one needs them straight away. The People Whatever you do, you and the tourists must always consider the people, their needs, their culture, and their way of life. A tour guide should guide the tourists in the most proper behaviour to respect the culture and not upset the people of Laos.