An ATR Aircraft at Nong Khang airport (Photo: laotiantimes.com)
Vientiane (VNA) – The number of Lao and foreign tourists to the Lao far-northprovince of Houaphanh has kept increasing since Nong Khang airport in theprovince’s Samneua district was put into operation in May.
Director of the province’s Department of Information,Culture and Tourism Malaithong Bounyaxay said that since the airport opened,two airlines have launched flights from Vientiane toSamneua, which helps boost local tourism.
To attract more touriststo the province, the province is asking the Lao government for funding to upgrade key touristattractions and improve the quality of tourism services.
From January to April, the province welcomed 18,888 visitorsincluding 7,214 domestic tourists and 11,674international, an increase of more than 300% over the same period last year.
The provincialofficial said that in the coming time, he believes the number of visitors tothe province will continue to increase.
Previously, to get to the province, visitors had to gothrough a road trip on winding and dangerous mountain roads.
Located in the northernmost part of Laos, Houaphanh provinceis more than 600 km from Vientiane. Previously, it took about two days to reach the province from the capital, but now it takes only one hour by air.
Nong Khang airport is part ofthe Lao Government’s infrastructure development strategy aimed attransforming Laos from a landlocked to a regionally connected nation. TheBuild-Transfer (BT) project has a total investment of 82 million USD,financed through a loan from Vietnam’s Hoang Anh Gia Lai Agriculture JSC. Theairport is built according to the 3C standards of the International CivilAviation Organization (ICAO), capable of serving 100,000 passengers per yearand accommodating aircraft with 70-100 seats.
Located in an important economic-trade gateway between Laos and Vietnam, theairport also contributes significantly to the development of cross-borderexport-import activities between the two countries. It not only promotestourism and economic growth of Houaphanh but also symbolises the enduringfriendship and sustainable cooperation between the two neighbouring countries./.
