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Market Analysis Mekong countries including Laos, Vietnam, southern China and Cambodia
The number of hotels in key tourist cities such as Vientiane and Luang Phrabang are incessantly rising, with an average annual growth of 50% within the five-year (2005-2009) period. This high growth of hotel business, together with over 400 resorts and guesthouses and more than 200 restaurants, have crated a demand for goods imported from Thailand, especially readyto-eat and processed food products, to serve the tourists. However, there are key factors, which are worth consideration, for entrepreneurs who want to start retail-wholesale business in Laos: costs and prices. If they can develop an advantage in price over local entrepreneurs or those from nearby Thai provinces such as NongKhai and Udon Thani, they can attract customers, especially those from business operators in various industries, who are keen in purchasing with big sized entrepreneurs in order to reduce costs and transportation fees. They can also obtain household consumers who also want to pay less so as to help save their living costs.