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Lao Tourism Pins Hopes on Visit Laos-China Year 2019
With tourism numbers still on shaky ground, Lao government officials are looking to the proposed Visit Laos-China Year 2019 to play a major role in boosting arrivals from the Mainland, as authorities keep the ongoing Visit Laos Year 2018 campaign alive. Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith and Chinese President Xi Jinping acknowledged the launch at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai earlier this week, though details are still being discussed. “Once the government gives official assignment and guidance, we will proceed and work with the Chinese side to draw up a plan in detail,” Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Ounthuang Khaophanh, told Vientiane Times. Laos has faced a decline in international visitor arrivals in recent years, and is targeting high-end Chinese tourists to help mitigate the decreasing numbers from other countries. Lao authorities aim to increase Chinese tourist arrivals from some 640,000 in 2017 to 1 million by 2020, said Director General of the Tourism Marketing Department Soun Manivong. Laos has witnessed a recent surge in Chinese arrivals, which have helped cushion a major fall from most other markets. During the first nine months of this year, Chinese arrivals skyrocketed 35% to 568,851 over the same period last year. Reports show that about 120 million Chinese take holidays abroad each year, representing a major global market share. Mr Soun pointed out Chinese visitors have surpassed Americans in the number of outbound vacations and spending per person for the past four years. Lao and Chinese authorities previously held talks on a preliminary rough plan for the Laos-China Year 2019 programme, including tourism fairs and business-matching seminars, with both countries expecting to organise promotional activities in major cities. Lao authorities intend to organise events in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Hunan, Beijing and Kunming, Mr Soun said. “Lao and Chinese authorities have also agreed on the need to better facilitate and quicken the visa issuing process at border crossings,” the director added. Mr Soun said Chinese nationals wanting to travel to Laos can also apply for a visa at Lao consulates in Kunming, Guangzhou, Hunan and Shanghai as well as at the Lao Embassy in Beijing. Laos has direct flights to Kunming, Guangzhou, Hunan, Changzhou, Changsha, Jinghong and Chengdu to facilitate holiday-makers. Souce: Vientiane Times, by Souksakhone Vaenkeo
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Lao Airlines Launches Direct Luang Prabang-Shangsha Flights
Lao Airlines has launched a direct flight connecting Luang Prabang with Shangsha in Hunan, China in a move to attract more tourists from the south central Chinese Province. The new route will operate weekly on Wednesdays. Lao Airlines also operates direct flights between Vientiane and Shangsha, which took off in 2015. Luang Prabang is considered the top tourist destination in Laos by 83% of visitors, followed by Vientiane, according to KPL Lao News Agency. Tourists generally visit temples, admire the architecture, make trips to waterfalls and caves, and observe the lifestyle of local people.
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Officials, Businesses Debate Ways to Improve Tourism
Government officials met with business operators on Friday to discuss developments and problems in the tourism industry as well as share ideas on ways to improve services during the remainder of Visit Laos Year 2018. The meeting aimed to improve the quality of tourism services and provide visitors with a better welcome as well as impressing them with the standard of facilities. Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Prof. Dr Bosengkham Vongdara said tourism had huge potential to generate revenue, especially during Visit Laos Year 2018. The year-long programme is important in promoting tourism as well as preserving the culture and traditions of Laos. Visit Laos Year served to stimulate the economy directly and indirectly, especially through an upswing in tourism-related businesses. Government officials and business operators also discussed ways to tackle the various barriers to tourism and how best to promote and develop tourism both at present and in the coming years. Among the main difficulties experienced by tourists are poor immigration procedures in some provinces, while some tourists using a new passport must pay a high immigration fee. Business operators suggested that immigration points should have posters stating the various charges for foreigners and Lao nationals, to make the fees clear. Another issue in the tourism industry is that in some provinces most business operators have a licence that is issued in the name of a Lao national but the business is actually run by foreigners. In Vangvieng district, Vientiane province, adventure activities such as paramotors or paragliding are run by foreigners, but the regulation and management of these operations is unclear. Some of the issues raised at the meeting were responded to by the authorities, with the rest to be addressed in the future. The meeting also reported on cooperation between government officials and businesses to promote tourism. This included media promotion of Visit Laos Year 2018, and Lao representation at the International Travel Expo 2018 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and the Japan Association of Travel Agents convention in Tokyo. Following on from these events in September, last month Laos was represented at the ITB Asia in Singapore and the Asean-China tourism meet in China. Laos will also attend the Cambodia Travel Mart and the China International Travel Mart this month, according to the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism. To reach the target of 5 million visitors in Visit Laos Year 2018, the authorities have organised many activities to promote tourism, such as vehicle convoys through the central, northern and southern provinces. More than 10 provinces are holding special activities to attract tourists and authorities will continue tourism promotion campaigns in Attapeu and Savannakhet provinces. More than 2.9 million people vacationed in Laos in the first nine months of this year, an increase of 3.2 percent over last year, according to the ministry’s Tourism Development Department. Source: Vientiane Times
