The main answer is, how is the place tourism managed? That's the absolute key. In many countries, the government finds that people will pay to go and see, for example, mountain gorillas in Rwanda. So the researchers there said, 'No more than six people at a time, and they can't stay more than an hour.' Well, the governments there think, 'Okay, we get all this money for six.'
Palivan emphasizes that her goal with Lao Garden is to educate people about Lao culture and cuisine, which she believes is often overshadowed by neighboring Thai food.
"In the beginning, we were litigious, we were out protesting, and that has kind of changed over the decades and we've turned into an organization that primarily does its work behind the scenes."