Lao ministry lays out tourism goals

Lao PDR’s Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism estimates 4.3 million international tourists visited the country in 2015, representing an increase of 4%.

The government expects revenue from tourism in 2015 will reach USD670 million from 4.3 million estimated travellers.
Lao News Agency quoted the most recent official results saying international visits increased from 2.7 million in 2011 to 4.1 million in 2014 with revenue from the tourism sector jumped from USD400 million in 2011 to USD560 million in 2014.
Unlike its ASEAN neighbours, Laos does not release monthly tourism performance figures to the public.
The annual estimate for 2015, indicated that around 70% of tourists came from within the region, especially Thailand, while the other 30% come from Europe, America, Japan and Australia.
Meanwhile, there are now more tour companies than ever with an increase from 236 companies in 2011 to 342 companies in 2014. The number of hotels, guesthouses and resorts also jumped from 1,926 five years ago to 2,426 last year, the media report said.
Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism attributed the growth in tourism to improvements and developments of the sector following the improvement in organisational structure, which has resulted in a more systematic workflow.
However, the travel trade in Laos says the lack of current statistics and performance data makes it difficult to adapt in a timely fashion to marketing changes. They have repeatedly asked the ministry to improve its data collection and provide timely reports on where the market was heading, rather than offering a historical views that was dated more than one year.
The ministry talks about the country being named to the World’s Best Tourist Destination list in 2013 in its latest review and says ecotourism has improved constantly over recent years, without backing up its claims with data.
It hopes to stimulate tourism by improving ecotourism in rural areas, promoting sustainability, and supporting cooperation between state and private business in ecotourism development.
The Ministry of Public Works and Transport suggested the country needs to build new gateway airports or expand current airports substantially to stay competitive.
It has identified four airports; Wattay, Luang Prabang, Savannakhet and Pakse airports.
A new international airport must be built on the outskirts of Vientiane. Construction should begin in 2025 and be completed before 2030. It will be built to accommodate the world’s largest commercial aircraft including the A380.
The transport ministry has also recommended that new international airports be built in Champasak, Savannakhet and Luang Prabang.
The six domestic airports to be renovated are in the provinces of Oudomxay, Luang Namtha, Huaphan, Phongsaly, Xayaboury and Bolikhamsai.
Four regional airports are to be upgraded as international airports; Xieng Khuang, Bokeo, Seno of Savannakhet and Attapeu.

Bank refreshes Luang Prabang’s tourist sites

Asian Development Bank is funding a US$10 million project to improve Luang Prabang’s tourist sites, in districts close to the World Heritage town.

Twenty tourists have been identified many of them in Pak Ou and Chomphet districts.
Lao News Agency quoted Luang Prabang Information, Culture and Tourism Department deputy director, Soudaphone Khomthavong, saying that there are 228 tourist sites in Luang Prabang province, of which 108 are ecotourism sites, 86 are cultural and 34 historical.
The 20 tourist sites that will be improved include Kuang Si waterfall, Xiengthong temple, Chan village, Xanghai village, Chomphet temple, Tham Ting cave, the national museum, That Phousi and the Tad Sae waterfall.
The improvements are being entirely financed by the Asian Development Bank and work is expected to be complete by 2019.
The funds will be used to improve access roads, install electricity lines, construct a river port and renovate temples.
Last year, over 600,000 tourists visited Luang Prabang and authorities claim the province earned USD189 million.
Luang Prabang’s tourism officials believe the World Heritage town will receive 700,000 international visitors by 2018.
The town has 76 hotels and resorts, 327 guesthouses, 286 traditional and international restaurants and 75 tourism companies.
Luang Prabang was recognised as a World Heritage site in 1995.It has captured the imagination of travellers because of the fusion of traditional and French colonial architecture during the 19th and 20th centuries and its chill-out ambience that still survives despite a tourism boom. It is one of the few remaining towns in Asia that reflect a blending of two distinct cultural traditions.

Luang Prabang's balancing act

Luang Prabang Province has integrated sustainable tourism development of culture, history and nature as a key component to creating more income for local people in the province and reducing poverty, Lao News Agency reported.
Soutdaphone Khomthavong, deputy director of the Information, Culture and Tourism Department of Luang Prabang Province, reported to the 10th Party Congress on Jan 20 that Luang Prabang currently has 228 tourist sites that are open for public service, of which 86 are culture, 108 are nature and 34 are historical sites.

The province intends to improve and facilities including hotels, transportation services and promote the rich cultural and traditional heritage of the nation, she said.

Luang Prabang was awarded the Golden Award for Top Tourist Destination for seven consecutive years. It has also been named an outstanding world heritage town of Asia.

Over the past five years, Luang Prabang Province has welcomed over 1.8 million tourists that generated income of over US$650 million for the province.

Last year, over 600,000 tourists visited Luang Prabang Province including domestic and foreign tourists which contributed more than 1.6 trillion kip (US$200 million) to the provincial economy.

Champasak expands tourism

Champassak Information, Culture and Tourism Department expects the province will attract 500,000 international tourists this year.
Vientiane Times made the assessment based on the province’s tourism department that claims the province will attract 500,000 visitors, this year, compared to 400,000 last year.
Thailand will be the top market source followed by Cambodia, Vietnam, and Europe, the report added.
The province needs to attract investors to build hotels and guesthouses of an international standard if ambitious targets are to be reached.
Green Discovery Company has been given permission to set up ecotourism projects in the Boloven rainforest in Paksong district to promote adventure, nature conservation and view wildlife in its natural habitat.
Currently, there are 64 hotels, 250 guesthouses and 12 resorts in the province with 10 more hotels under construction, according to the province’s tourism department.
Late last year, the province joined a branding exercise tagged “Southern Laos, Charming by nature” with a website, officially launched to promote the four southern provinces of Saravan, Sekong, Attapeu and Champasak as a single tourism destination.
The project is ambitious and will need to gain the support of tour operators who are at present are not promoting tours of all the four provinces. Transport links are a major problem.
There are very few travel itineraries featuring the four provinces other than Champasak which should be linked to destinations in Thailand’s Northeast and Cambodia on an international travel trail.

Sikhottabong to become tourist site

Vientiane Planning and Investment Department signed an agreement, this January 2016, with two private companies to develop the Nong-Or zone in Sikhottabong district, Vientiane, into a tourist site.
Vientiane Times reported that the Vientiane Planning and Investment Department concluded a Memorandum of Understanding for the project.
The MoU was inked between the department director, Phoukhong Bannavong, Leading Real Estate Development Company president, Qing Jikang and Automart Import-Export Sole Company president, Thongsavanh Onkorlabout.
Covering 24 hectares, Nong-Or zone will feature a nature-themed tourism park, a shopping mall, apartments, school and entertainment venues.
The projects will cost USD50 million in two phases with the first due to be completed in 2018. It will include the park, followed by the second phase focusing on a hotel and shopping mall.
Leading Real Estate Development Company owns 95% of the project with the remaining 5% held by Automart Import-Export Sole Company. The land concession is for 70 years.
Last year, 4.3 million international tourists visited Laos increasing 4.88% from 4.1 million in 2014. Visits generated USD670 million in revenue, according to the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism. The major source markets are Thailand Vietnam and China, On average, each visitor generates revenue of USD30 per day.
The most popular destinations are Luang Prabang, Champasak, and Vang Vieng, a district in Vientiane province.

Air Asia launched daily flight from Bangkok to Luang Prabang from March 2016

Thai AirAsia will inaugurate a daily flight from Bangkok (Don Mueang Airport) to Luang Prabang in Lao PDR effective 24 March.
Speaking at a press conference, Tuesday, the airline’s CEO, Tassapon Bijleveld, said the upcoming service was the carrier first endeavour in Lao PDR.
In the past, authorities rejected applications by low-cost airlines to fly to Luang Prabang. The country also opted out of the ASEAN Open Skies agreement, apparently to protect its national airline, at the expense of its fledging tourism industry that has called for more flights.
The decision to allow Thai AirAsia to fly to Luang Prabang will give the airline cover in all neighbouring Mekong Region countries; Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.
“The new service will help encourage tourism in the region …the Luang Prabang service will complete Thai AirAsia’s network in the (Mekong),” the airline’s CEO explained.
“We currently have services to two major destinations each in Cambodia (Phnom Penh and Siem Reap), Myanmar (Yangon and Mandalay) and Vietnam (Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City)… we hope Laos will follow this pattern…after Luang Prabang there is potential to open a route to Vientiane, the capital city.”
According to Lao PDR’s Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, there were 4.3 million international tourist arrivals to the country, last year, up 4.88% from 4.1 million in 2014. The trips generated USD670 million in revenue.
Thai nationals represented the biggest market followed by Vietnamese and Chinese.
In 2014, 2.04 million Thai tourists travelled to Laos, down marginally by 0.76% from 2.05 million visits in 2013.
AirAsia’s Fly-Thru service, opens travel to ASEAN destinations, connecting Thailand to seven countries in ASEAN with 15 routes and 12 destinations.

Flight schedule Bangkok (BKK) – Luang Prabang (LPQ)
FD1030 BKK LPQ 14:10 15:30
FD1031 LPQ BKK 16:45 18:05
*Starts 24 March 2016

The airlines sets a one-way promotional fare from Bangkok to Luang Prabang at THB990. The fare includes airport tax and surcharges. Booking must be made by 14 February for travelling period from 24 March 2016 to 5 February, 2017