Post by Laoupdate on Feb 20, 2005 20:52:47 GMT -5
VISITORS from Thailand can now use their border passes for unlimited travel within Laos, announced the Lao National Tourism Authority (NTA) recently.
In the past, the border passes can only be used for a maximum stay of three days.
The latest move by the NTA is to attract more visitors from Thailand to visit their neighbour.
Earlier on, the NTA had announced plans for visa exemption for visitors from Japan, Korea, and the European Union, pending approval. NTA Director Mr Vernsay Malavong said that this is in line with the government's policy to attract boost tourist numbers to Laos. He added that there have been an increasing number of European tourists nowadays, particularly from France, England, Germany, Italy, Australia, Canada, United States.
Right now, visa exemption only applies to visitors from Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand.
According to NTA, of the 900,000 tourists in Laos last year, 70 percent stayed for a period of between one to three days, and the rest between six to seven days.
The increase in tourist numbers is significant. In 1990, there were only 14,400 visitors. This figure soared to 735,662 in 2002 and reaped a total of US$ 113,000,000 million that year.
NTA expects to receive between 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 tourists in 2010.
To day, there are 12,000 guesthouses and hotels nationwide, 62 travel agencies, three international airports and 15 international immigration points.
Source: kplnet.net
Photo: geo.ya.com/travelimages/laos20.jpg