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The purpose of this review paper is to investigate the consequences of tourism development and economic growth within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, focusing specifically on Lao PDR post-pandemic. The adverse effect of COVID-19 on tourism and economic sectors has been pervasive across the ASEAN region, with varying degrees of impact. Some of these difficulties are set to continue, though there are positive signs of recovery and of the resilience of the tourism industry. Utilising case material from Lao PDR in Southeast Asia – an area frequently neglected in tourism studies – the paper sheds light on the post-pandemic landscape to address existing gaps in the current literature.

A case study approach was taken in this review paper, utilising secondary data such as media reports, official reports from Tourism Laos and international governing bodies like United Nations and the World Bank to form a viewpoint discussion in the Lao PDR post-pandemic condition.

This paper reveals that contrary to a long period of recovery post-pandemic, there has been a degree of continuity from the pre-pandemic period. Considerable numbers of backpackers have returned to Vang Vieng, along with Vientiane and Luang Prabang. While the pre-pandemic emphasis on mass tourism persists, there is also an increased focus on regional and domestic markets. Laos, with its strategic location and cross-border connections, aims to take advantage of this shift.

The paper highlights a detailed exploration of the Lao tourism industry post-pandemic. It goes beyond the initial expectations in literature of a complete transformation post-pandemic, highlighting the continuity in visitor sources and traditional tourist attractions. It emphasises the Lao PDR strategic position for market reorientation, providing insight into the nation’s adaptive strategies and a nuanced perspective on the evolving landscape of Lao tourism.

This chapter explores the nature of military law and IHL during the cold war period. It explores what treaties were completed, Additional Protocols I and II of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, the ad hoc international tribunals of the 1990s and 2000s, and examines the ICJ’s ruling of the legality of nuclear weapons.

Most Asians are directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture, and most live in rural areas. Since Asia is primarily an agricultural economy, rural tourism and agrotourism are critical in enabling growth. Agrotourism is a term that refers to the fusion of tourism and agriculture. The freshwater turtles (Batagur sp.) are a group of six turtles that once roamed southern Asia's great rivers and estuaries from the Indian Subcontinent to the Indonesian islands. Therefore, this review is to investigate the current state of agrotourism in Batagur sp. conservation and assess the associated challenges and opportunities. This review paper recognized the impacts and benefits for the rural site as an agrotourism industry. Moreover, three initiatives in Batagur sp. conservation programs were also discussed. Agrotourism, with a focus on the conservation of Batagur sp., is a vital driver of economic growth in rural Asian regions. It diversifies rural communities' income sources, enhancing economic stability and resilience.

As the tourism industry recovers from the devastating effects of the global pandemic, meeting the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains to be a global “deadline” where tourism is seen as a major contributor. While disruptions to business-as-usual practices such as COVID-19 present unprecedented challenges, they can also provide opportunities for strategic innovation to change behavior toward sustainable tourism experiences. Active transport for low-carbon tourism such as walking or cycling tours have risen in popularity in recent years, and especially postpandemic, as they provide opportunities for a more personalized experience while health and safety protocols can still be implemented. They also present health benefits for the individuals while contributing to environmental sustainability and climate mitigation strategies of the tourism industry. This book chapter presents cases of various forms of tourism activities that use active transport, focusing on walking tours and cycling tours. Various companies offering tours under these modes are discussed and presented. These two modes promote authentic cultural and heritage tourism experiences through the local experts that provide the services.

Traditional purchasing best practices primarily follow a commercial logic and may not necessarily be applicable for social enterprises (SEs) supplier selection. This study examines how SEs focused on poverty alleviation select suppliers amidst competing institutional logics to achieve both social impact and economic performance.

A grounded theory methodology is applied to guide semi-structured interviews with 18 fair trade verified SEs. Constant comparison methods aided in determining the point of data saturation was reached.

The results of this study indicate that SEs select marginalized suppliers based on implicit criteria that is initially based on social-welfare logic and then through a blend of commercial and social-welfare logic based on company structure.

This study is the first to reveal that SEs addressing social issues do not follow the traditional criteria for supplier selection but have their own unique selection criteria when selecting suppliers.

Educational accountability and student achievement polarization, which result in high dropout rates, pose significant challenges and pressures on teachers' pedagogical leadership. Whether pedagogical leadership, which originates in the Western educational environment, can significantly improve student achievement in Chinese high schools remains unclear. This concept has not yet been fully explored in the Chinese educational environment, and its direct impact on student achievement and the mediating role of English teaching methods remain to be investigated. However, existing research has concentrated on the effectiveness of principals' pedagogical leadership, with variations in teachers' pedagogical leadership practices. Many reform measures have been implemented in China to improve student achievement, but past educational practices have analyzed the impact on student achievement from a single instructional leadership, school capital or teaching method perspective. Furthermore, there is a lack of multidimensional and systematic assessments of the direct effects of teacher pedagogical leadership on student achievement and the mediating effects of English teaching methods.

To address this gap, this study analyzed the impact of teachers' pedagogical leadership on student achievement and the mediating effect of English teaching methods with the support of the theory of action for teacher leadership, specifically using pedagogical leadership and English teaching methods models.This study conducted a questionnaire survey of 968 participants in Taian City, China, and quantitatively analyzed the data using SmartPLS structural equation modeling (SEM).

This study revealed that pedagogical leadership has a positive direct effect on student achievement. Meanwhile, among the four mediating factors, the Direct Method, Audio-Lingual Method and Communicative Language Teaching had significant mediating effects.

This study shows that the effective use of academic and professional capital allocation in pedagogical leadership, combined with effective measures of using multiple effective English teaching methods, helps achieve high-quality student achievement.

Critical examination of Bangladeshi laws related to workers’ rights in the garment industry. This paper aims to examine the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on the protection of garment workers’ rights in Bangladesh, analyzing how international investment practices influence labor standards and the overall well-being of workers in the garment industry.

In this study, qualitative and analytical methods has been used to analyze legal frameworks related to labor rights in Bangladesh and BITs.

The findings indicate a need to strengthen the current legal framework to better protect workers' rights in Bangladesh. The study also provides recommendations for the relevant authorities to improve the existing laws.

Novel idea critically evaluating the Bangladeshi legal framework in the context of foreign direct investment and implications for worker's rights.