Vangvieng prepares for winter season visitors

Authorities in Vangvieng district, Vientiane province, are making sure that everything is ready for the expected influx of visitors during the upcoming peak tourist season.
District Governor Mr Khamphong Duangvilay told Vientiane Times “We are ready to welcome visitors and have prepared a full range of amenities, including high-quality hotels and guesthouses, as well as restaurants and a variety of leisure activities.”
“The number of tourists is already starting to increase, especially from China, South Korea and France. One of the main features of the tourist-friendly facilities we offer is a new bridge across the Nam Xong river, which local residents and visitors can use free of charge,” he said.

Construction of the steel bridge began in September, funded by the government. It is now 85 percent complete and is expected to open by National Day on December 2. 
The bridge is 5.4 metres wide and 94 metres long and has a load-bearing capacity of 60 tonnes.
It links Huay Sa Ngao and Huay Yae villages to Phangeun mountain, Poukham cave and other popular tourist attractions.
Vangvieng is about 150 km from Vientiane by road. Its craggy limestone outcrops and the river provide visitors with a wide range of fun activities such as kayaking, tubing and speed-boating.
There are also zip-lines, the enticing Chang and Poukham caves, and the clear mountain water creates lagoons and the Kaeng Nyui waterfall.
According to the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, during Visit Laos Year 2018 more than 300,000 people visited Vangvieng, with most coming from South Korea and China. This was a huge increase over 2017, when just over 187,000 visitors were recorded.
More than 3.4 million people vacationed in Laos in the first nine months of this year, an increase of about 11 percent compared to last year, while the number of visitors from China soared by 26 percent, according to the Tourism Development Department.
Visitors from Thailand – the main source of Laos’ tourists – rose by 6 percent while Vietnamese visitors increased by 11 percent.
Tourist arrivals from many high-end countries also increased, with the number coming from the USA rising by 22 percent, while visitors from the United Kingdom also increased by 22 percent. The number of French visitors rose by 11 percent while German tourists increased by 13 percent.
In comparison, visitor numbers from the Republic of Korea dropped by 1 percent, the number from Denmark fell by 27 percent, Swiss visitors declined by 18 percent, and the number from Finland plummeted by 28 percent.

ByPhomphong Laoin
(Latest Update November 18, 2019)