Charming Champasak looks forward

CHAMPASAK, 18 January 2016: 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.