CNN
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The deaths of six international vacationers linked to a suspected mass methanol poisoning has thrown a highlight on a small city in Southeast Asia that has labored arduous lately to shed its popularity for extra.
Vang Vieng, a preferred backpacker vacation spot in northern Laos, is on the middle of an unfolding tragedy after a number of Western nations, together with america and the UK, confirmed their residents had died in Laos in latest days and warned of the doubtless deadly penalties of consuming tainted alcohol within the nation.
Although the entire circumstances of these deaths stays unclear, the hyperlink to suspected methanol poisoning has thrust Laos and its important tourism trade into the highlight — and revived reminiscences of Vang Vieng’s generally darkish latest previous.
Recognized for its gorgeous karst surroundings and relaxed vibe, the city on the Music River is an idyllic stopping level for vacationers between the capital Vientiane and UNESCO World Heritage-listed metropolis of Luang Prabang.
“Found” by Western shoestring vacationers within the late Nineteen Nineties, the city rapidly advanced from an agricultural group to a hedonistic get together middle.
However the get together turned bitter when a string of a deadly accidents linked to poor security requirements and a tradition of extra alongside the river made worldwide headlines, forcing native authorities to step in.
Within the early- to mid-2000s, Vang Vieng gained a infamous popularity on the Southeast Asian “banana pancake” path for its wild events and river tubing tradition, together with the extensive availability of low-cost alcohol and illicit medication.
Laos has tried to rebrand Vang Vieng as much less of a celebration vacation spot. In 2012, the federal government closed down lots of the low-cost bars that catered to the backpacker crowd and pivoted towards changing into extra of an journey journey and eco-tourism scorching spot.
Vang Vieng and its mountainous environment are a base for outside actions, together with kayaking, jungle trekking, parasailing, tubing and mountaineering. And lately, the city has develop into standard with a broader vary of vacationers, particularly amongst households and tour teams from South Korea and neighboring China.
However now, Vang Vieng’s consuming tradition is again within the information.
As experiences of vacationers’ deaths emerged in latest days, New Zealand, Australia, the UK, Canada and the US all issued statements urging their residents to be cautious about consuming alcohol in Laos.
“(We’re) conscious of quite a lot of circumstances of suspected methanol poisoning in Vang Vieng, probably by means of the consumption of methanol-laced alcoholic drinks,” the US Embassy in Vientiane mentioned in a well being alert Friday. “Please be alert to the potential danger of methanol poisoning, particularly when consuming spirit-based alcoholic drinks.”
The alert additionally suggested vacationers in Laos to “buy alcoholic drinks and drinks from licensed liquor shops, bars, and motels,” not drink any do-it-yourself alcoholic drinks, and to verify bottles for indicators of tampering or mislabeling.
The warning got here after the US State Division confirmed to CNN that an American citizen had died in Vang Vieng. It didn’t give a purpose for the particular person’s demise however mentioned the US was “intently monitoring the state of affairs and offering consular help.”
Tourism is a key income for Laos, a landlocked nation of about 7 million people who is likely one of the poorest nations in Southeast Asia, and which lags behind neighbors Vietnam and Thailand relating to attracting guests.
Based on Laotian authorities information, 2.6 million international tourists have visited Laos in 2024. The three largest customer teams are Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese language, with “different notable sources” of inbound guests from France, the UK, Russia, Japan and the US.
A “Laos 12 months 2024” initiative was launched this 12 months with a objective of bringing in 4.6 million vacationers and producing $712 million.
CNN’s Helen Regan, Isaac Yee and Eve Brennan contributed reporting.