My Southeast Asia Ventures: Running a tourism business in Laos since 2012 has taught me to savour life’s simple things

Southeast Asia might not be many young Singaporeans’ first choice as a destination for work or study, but some have taken a leap of faith and ventured into the region. TODAY’s Voices section is publishing first-hand accounts of those who have spent time in Singapore’s closest neighbours for a variety of meaningful pursuits.

In this instalment, Mr Benny Kong Chong Jee, 35, recounts how he persuaded his parents to open a guesthouse in Laos after his first visit there as a teen. He later joined the family business full-time. Despite the challenges of doing business there, the “true essence” of living in Laos is to be “Bo Bpen Yang” — take in both the good and bad without stress, he writes.

I first visited Laos in 2006 after Junior College and before National Service (NS). I was backpacking across the region with my friends in late 2006, starting from Thailand. We had heard a lot about Laos from other travellers and decided to visit.

From Bangkok, we rode an overnight train for 12 hours to reach Vientiane. We stayed for a couple of nights, before taking a bus to Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang. The roads were very bumpy and the rides long, but we were mesmerised by the beauty of each place in Laos.

We saw beautiful blue lagoons, climbed peaks and hills, and went kayaking along the Nam Song river in Vang Vieng. 

We saw the mighty Mekong river on a cruise, significant temples, splendid French colonial buildings, magnificent waterfalls such as the Kwuang Si and hiked along different paths to visit minority tribes in Luang Prabang.

Laos’ tourism industry was then at its infancy and we saw tourists in sleeping bags on the streets and temples as there was a lack of accommodation. 

This gave me the idea of opening some form of accommodation there.

I convinced my parents to support me on my journey to being a hospitality service provider after encouraging them to visit Luang Prabang. 

They fell in love with the town and in 2007, we opened our first guesthouse there, MyLaoHome, which is still running today. 

I helped the company on and off during my NS and studies, before joining full-time in 2012. 

Since then, I have been engaged in the tourism business, running an online travel booking portal which shares information about Laos and offers tour bookings with a focus on sustainable travel. 

Last November, we opened MyBanLao Hotel, a 60-room property in Luang Prabang, which interestingly was a former CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) headquarters in the 1960s. 

Our company also rents electric cars, bikes, scooters and buggies to tourists in Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng.

We now have almost 140 staff in Laos and only two foreigners in our company, namely myself and another Cambodian who is our IT manager and co-founder. 

While not involved in the day-to-day running of the business, my father still offers advice and mentorship when needed.

As foreigners in Laos, we have to be mindful of being kind to our colleagues. If you are antagonistic to locals, they will likely not stay long in your company. 

Being a good listener and showing understanding works well for staff relationships.

Lao culture is conservative, laid-back, and focused on family and friends. 

The goal is to make living enjoyable and simple. 

We often get invited to join a meal or drink while walking past local families or people who we hardly know. In that way, new friendships are formed. 

I have learnt that it is important to be ambitious in life and business but not lose focus on what you were looking for in the beginning.

I came to Laos as a wide-eyed tourist enjoying the slow life and scenery, trying to make a difference to the community and tourism landscape.

When Covid-19 struck, hospitality businesses were the hardest hit and I did everything I could to survive and keep our team and staff together. We managed to retain jobs, which was my biggest achievement. 

We shifted from marketing to international travellers to domestic ones, which worked very well during the pandemic. While others closed down, we persevered and tackled a new market.

Now with Covid-19 stabilising, demand for tourism services from the international market is growing and we have a different challenge. It is hard to cope with the surge as fewer people wish to enter our industry. 

This is undoubtedly the biggest challenge for our sector moving forward.

For Singaporeans who wish to venture into Laos, my advice is to take your time and do not get frustrated when things are not going your way. 

Local bureaucracy can be quite cumbersome and difficult to navigate, so do have a good local partner or lawyer that is able to help you set up properly. 

I have met many great friends and partners in Laos during my time here and I find most locals to be very genuine and friendly. The true essence of living in Laos is to be “Bo Bpen Yang”, meaning “no problem”, taking in the good and bad without stressing yourself.

ABOUT THE WRITER:

Mr Benny Kong Chong Jee, 35, is business development manager of MyLaoHome. He started his first hospitality venture in Laos at the age of 18 and has since expanded into IT, tourism and social enterprise start-ups there. He lives in Luang Prabang with his Laotian wife and two daughters.

If you have an experience to share or know someone who wishes to contribute to this series, write to voices [at] mediacorp.com.sg with your full name, address and phone number.