(KPL) By the year of 2007, the tourism sectors has grown up steadily which created revenue for the country almost 26 percent per, said Mr Soukhaseum Phothisane, Vice Chairman of Lao National Tourism Authority to the media on 27 December.

He added that there were 1.3 million foreign tourists arrival Laos during 10 months, growing 900,000 people over last year figure, about 37 percent increased compared to the same previous of last year. About 1,400,000 tourists are expected to come to visit Laos at the end of this year, which will provide a benefit to the country about US$ 200 million...more

According to Mr. Soukhaseum, the service sector is now improving its facilities to serve their clients including hotel, guesthouse, and restaurant and tourist sites. In other hand, the handicraft products by ethnic people is also encouraged to display at the various activities in domestic and foreign countries including Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Japan.

In addition, Lao government also plans to upgrade the communication and transportation system in grass root level in order to attract more tourists. This included the road from Km 20 to Konglor cave, Luang-Namtha Airport, and other roads to the new tourist sites.

Go together with the tourism administration office improvement in the provincial level, the government will also build the awareness on how importance of tourism to the social-economic development.

Source: kpl

Located at the center of the province of Champassak, to 38 km of Paksé, in the middle of the famous plate of Bolovens, the water falls of Tad Fane are a true treat for the eyes. To have the heart Net of it, return in the ZNP of Dong Hua Sao, one of the 18 zones protected from Laos, which shelters a particularly rich biodiversity, with some animals threatened like the tiger or various species of monkeys. Opened with the public in 2002, the site of the cascade is in full nature, in the middle of the forest. If you wish not to limit your visit to this wonder of nature, spend a few nights to Tad Fane Resort, partic ulièrement located well, in order to benefit from the sites close like the coffee plantations and the villages to the Alak ethnos groups and Laven to the surroundings to Paksong. Further in the east, you can leave to research the falls of Nam Tok Katamok, less high than that of Tad Fane but much more wild, hidden in the forest. The best season to visit this area is the dry season, but the plate of Bolovens, as its name indicates it, is at a relatively high altitude which preserve it hot seasons and heat wave which prevails in the plains... more info:.

The visit of the falls of Tad Fane is not particularly long, but much of tourists like to be delayed in front of this spectacle of water masses plunging in the vacuum of more than 200 m in height. In bottom, a pretty lake attracts some fishermen, even if it is difficult to reach.



If your budjet is not limited too much, Tad Fane Resort will fill you. You will be able to occupy one of the many bungalows built in the greenery, with their private bathrooms, and to raise you the morning to the song of the birds and grondement remote of the cascade.



The evening, take glass at the restaurant bar in order to give you from your small excursion, and taste a beer or one of the delicious cocktails around a fire. The interest of the site is not limited to the cascade, and you will be able to carry out in the surroundings of very beautiful excursions, to bathe you in the river or to admire the many orchises. In all the cases, remain at least two days on the site, or will regret it to you.

Source: lerenovateur.org.la

Bangkok Airways has begun two new weekly direct flights from Bangkok to Champassak province in the past two weeks, hoping to deliver more tourists to the area.

Director General of the Civil Aviation Department, Mr Yakua Lopangkao, said that under the bilateral air service agreement between the Lao and Thai governments, Lao Airlines can fly to Thailand and Thai air services can fly into Laos . The agreement has been upgraded each year to ensure cooperation between the two countries in this sector meets market demand...more

Mr Yakua said the Lao government needed Bangkok Airways to provide direct flights from Bangkok to Champassak province right now because Lao Airlines cannot provide this service.

“We want to provide the convenience of these flights for entrepreneurs and tourists who want arrive in Champassak in good time,” Mr Yakua said.

He said that in the past, it took entrepreneurs or tourists about two days to get from Bangkok to Champassak province. The direct Bangkok Airways flight takes only a bit more than an hour.

The Bangkok Airways flights, from Bangkok to Champassak to Siem Reap, fly Tuesdays and Sundays.

He added that the flights are a good way to promote tourism in the province, a World Heritage site.

He added that although market demand may not be high to begin with, it should improve after six or seven months when passengers learn about the flights.

While the Lao government has opened the way for the new direct flights, Mr Yakua said the government had set a limit of 450 passengers per week. Lao Airlines must provide the service for any more passengers after they open this service.

A representative from Bangkok Airways said since the direct flights began on April 10, they have been about 30 percent booked, but advance bookings mean that about 45 percent of seats will be filled in the next month.

Bangkok Airways has run direct flights from Bangkok to Luang Prabang for four years.

Four foreign air services fly direct flights into Laos currently, in addition to the Bangkok Airways flights.

Thai Airways flies from Bangkok to Vientiane , Vietnam Airlines flies Hanoi to Vientiane , China Eastern flies Kunming to Vientiane , and Siem Reap Airways flies Pakxe to Siem Reap.

Mr Yakua said many airways serving Laos provided better choices for passengers. It is government policy to open the door for service and trade, he added.

By Soudalath Phonpachith
vientianetimes

Lao Airlines will add extra round-trip flights from Vientiane to Luang Prabang and Pakxe from April 10-19 to meet the needs of passengers travelling to celebrate the Lao New Year.

According to the Commercial Director of Lao Airlines, Mr Rada Sunthorn, the airline will increase the number of return flights from Vientiane to Luang Prabang from three to seven daily.

Return flights from Vientiane to Pakxe will increase from three a week at present to five times weekly... more info

“If we find demand increases even further, we will add more flights. Every year, more and more people travel to Luang Prabang at this time of the year,” he said.

“Not only is it well known as a World Heritage Site, it is a very popular destination for local people and foreign residents of Laos , who like to go there to celebrate the traditional activities staged at New Year.”

Mr Rada said that over New Year, this group constituted 60 percent of visitors to the city whereas, normally, overseas tourists formed 70 percent of the total number of visitors.

The second most popular destination in Laos was Champassak province, which is home to the World Heritage Site of Vat Phou.

Overseas visitors usually go there by plane during the New Year, whereas most local people drive there.

He said that the prices of these flights would remain unchanged, with people of Lao nationality paying 470,000 kip and foreigners paying US$63 for a one-way ticket from Vientiane to Luang Prabang. From Vientiane to Champassak, the cost was 750,000kip for Lao people and US$95 for foreigners.

“We have cancelled flights from Vientiane to Houaxai airport in Bokeo province for a further two weeks because of poor visibility due to smoke from forest fires and slash and burn farming. We are waiting for the skies to clear before we resume flights on this sector,” he said.


By Panyasith Thammavongsa
vientianetimes