Said managing director Vianney Catteau, “The main problem is payment. Laos does not support any online payment. We need potential clients to send us a copy of their visa card and a copy of their passport.

“You can imagine that this limits tremendously the business we can sell online! As an example, Paypal, which could be a good solution –even though it’s expensive, cannot be used in Laos.

As such, most of the enquiries come by email and the website has “a very basic reservation engine that lacks flexibility”, said Catteau.

Despite this, 15% of its FIT sales comes through the Internet, which shows the potential of the channel. The global financial crisis has also wiped out 30% of its business, given that 99.9% of its customers come from longhaul sources such as the USA and Europe. Australia and New Zealand also form a good chunk of business but only a handful come from within Asia, namely Japan and Singapore.

Aware of the need to diversify its customer mix and the potential to reach more customers, more cheaply, through the Internet, the company is reviewing its products and services and embarking on a “complete e-communication strategy”, said Catteau.

It has employed a marketing manager who will work with two interns from a French business school to review the current website and implement a new digital strategy.

“The objective is to get more direct clients and avoid the middlemen, which increases our margins,” said Catteau. “We want to learn how to liaise with forums and social networks, create a new e-newsletter, things like that. Currently we are on Facebook, and we are trying to get active on TripAdvisor  but it is not as easy at it sounds.

Most of its customers are aged between 30 and 50, said Catteau, although it has handled clients as young as 18 and as old as 70. The Europeans, he said, are the most active online. “I don’t know why,” he said.

Its customers are also pretty well-heeled travellers. “We are too expensive for backpackers,” said Catteau.

To attract more travellers from Asia, Green Discovery Laos is working on creating a brand to cater, first, for the Thai market. “The brand will move away from the green image of the company and get more into the fun and recreation part,” said Catteau.

As for devices such as smartphones and the iPad and how he sees that changing his company’s customer behaviour, he said, “Once again, we are in Laos, the use of these technologies is extremely expensive. I do not know of anyone in the tourism sector using this in Laos.”

Asked what’s the biggest challenge of doing what he does, Catteau, who hails from France and came to Laos, via Africa, said, “Being in Laos. Too much bureaucracy, online payment is not possible and since last year, 30% of our market has disappeared.”

The best part of what he does? “Being in Laos. Unspoiled playground, much to be still developed. Kindness of the people.”

Featured image credit (Couple having financial problems): Ockra/iStock