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Laos expects tourism to be the top contributor to its economic
growth and is focusing on promoting ecotourism to international
markets. Laos recorded 1.2 million tourist arrivals that generated
US$173 million for the country last year. Tourism was the second
largest contributor, after mining, to the country's GDP, said
Ambassador Vang Rattanavong, vice-chairman of the Lao National
Tourism Administration, according to a report in the Bangkok Post.
"Tourism will be the number one contributor in the future as
there are many projects developing at the moment," he said.
The country projects 1.3 million arrivals with $190 million
generated from tourism this year. During the first quarter of this
year, it welcomed 420,000 visitors, up 30% year-on-year. It
projects two million visitors with $290 million revenue in
2010.
Laos experienced impressive growth averaging 26% a year, from
fewer than 40,000 visitors in 1991 to 700,000 in 2000 and 1.2
million in 2006. The average tourist stay in Laos was seven
days.
Ambassador Vang said the country's priority was to attract
high-quality tourists, currently accounting for only 30% of its
total tourists, while other countries in the region such as
Thailand attracted 60% high-paying tourists, Cambodia 90% and
Vietnam 89%.
"The number may be the same, at about 1.2 million to 1.3
million, but we will work hard to increase high quality tourists,"
he said.
Laos is known as an ecotourism destination _ more than half of
its tourism earnings derive from ecotourism. The government has
made tourism development, with the focus on ecotourism, one of 11
priority sectors to help improve standards of living. Last week, it
organised the third Lao Ecotourism Forum, which has expanded into a
regional forum with exhibitors from countries in the Greater Mekong
Subregion.
Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh said support for
community-based ecotourism started with the Nam Ha Ecotourism
Project in Luang Namtha's Nam Ha National Protected Area, which
now receives about 5,000 visitors each year.
"Our government considers this type of tourism as a way of
generating income for local people and raising awareness about
environmental conservation, encouraging local production and
protecting Lao's multi-ethnic culture and traditions," said Mr
Bouasone.
The country has established ecoguide service centres to provide
information about environmentally friendly travel in participating
provinces such as Savannakhet, Champassak, Khammouane, Luang Namtha
and Luang Prabang.
Laos has also expanded the investment opportunities for
tourism-related businesses by allowing 100% foreign ownership in
hotels and restaurants and 30-70% in tour companies.
The country has also worked with international organisations and
neighbouring countries to improve public infrastructure such as
roads, bridges over the Mekong River, international airports,
electricity and telecommunication networks,and providing a clean
water supply.
The opening of the Friendship Bridge II linking Mukdahan
province in Thailand and Savannakhet has encouraged more Thais
visit Laos as well as travel farther to Vietnam. A Lao official
said more than 200,000 visitors have crossed the bridge since it
was opened in December last year. Thais were the largest group of
visitors to Laos with 675,845 visitors in 2006, accounting for 55%
of total arrivals.
Laos has 18 international immigration points, 13 of which offer
visas on arrival. Citizens from eight Asean countries along with
Japan and Russia are exempt from visa requirements.
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