 Back to Luzi Matzig's Home
High flier up above
|
|
Luzi Matzig in TravelAsia
TravelAsia, January 21, 2000
By Raini Hamdi
Laos is not most people’s idea of a self-drive destination. Questions about safety, smooth access and comfort levels are real and inevitable. But the need for tour operators to come up with pioneer products as the market gets competitive is also real. This week sees the debut at ATF of the first self-drive programme linking Northern Thailand with Laos. A new eight-day/seven-night programme from Asian Trails, the self-drive starts in Sukhothai. It goes via Loei to Nongkai in Thailand’s northeast, crosses the Mekong river via the Friendship bridge over to Laos’ capital Vientiane, onward via Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang, then on a totally new route via Saiyaburi, Laos, to Nan, Thailand, and on to Chiang Rai. In pioneering this route, a survey trip was made last December by Luzi Matzig, group managing director of Asian Trails, along with Jacob Oertle, resident manager of Wettstein Switzerland, Duncan Jamieson, general manager of Le Meridien Baan Boran in Chiang Saen, and a reporter with Thailand Trade Report (see trip report for findings on safety and accessibility). Asian Trails budgets around US$7,000 to US$10,000 for every new product, with costs going to one or two survey trips, air fares, food, accommodation and time, as well as photography, printing of new brochures and marketing. It hopes to sell about 200 to 250 car packages to Laos in the 2000/2001 season. This will cover the initial development cost, with subsequent years bringing in returns. "The product is attractively priced and we’re happy with a seven per cent profit on it," said Matzig. The programme is priced at US$316-US$593 per person, including a 4WD vehicle, accommodation and breakfast, collision damage waiver and free delivery/pick-up.
|
Photos
Luzi Matzig in other news sources
