International hotel brands to open in Laos
International hotel brands to open in Laos
A number of international hotel brands plan to open in Laos over the next five years after learning of the huge tourism development potential in the landlocked country.
Yang Fu Ning, General Manager of Don Chan Palace, a luxury hotel in Vientiane, was quoted in the Thai newspaper The Nation last week, as saying that international brands Ramada, InterContinental, Crown Plaza, Sofitel and Marriott are looking for business opportunities in Laos and hoping to open hotels in the capital by 2019.
Three global brands - Mercure, Ibis and Best Western - have already opened their doors in Vientiane, and one regional brand has entered the World Heritage Site of Luang Prabang, he said.
Don Chan Palace is a part of CAMCE Laos, one of the largest real estate developers in the country. The Chinese firm conducted market research before deciding to invest in the construction of the ASEM village and various shopping centres in Laos.
According to Mr Yang there are in total about 300 hotels, resorts, guest houses, boutique properties and independent hotels already in Vientiane and most are owned and operated by locals.
“Laos is opening up for tourism right now,” he said, adding that foreign tourists would continue to arrive in greater numbers.
A report from the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism shows that Laos saw 3.7 million arrivals last year, generating income of 4.8 trillion kip (US$600 million).
The government is aiming for 3.9 million tourists this year and the number of arrivals should reach 10 million within five years. The top five source markets are South Korea, China, Vietnam, Japan and Thailand. The number of American and European tourists has also significantly increased in recent years.
Yang said that over the next five years, the Chinese market should make up the largest portion of Lao tourism, adding that one of the driving forces which will increase Chinese arrivals in Laos, is improved connectivity.
Laos and China are planning to construct a high speed rail link connecting Vientiane to Kunming in southern China.
The Lao government is also expanding Savannakhet Airport in the country's south as a new aviation hub, along with improving attractions in all key destinations, while working intensively to increase the number of border checkpoints and integrate with countries in the region and the world at large.
Currently, seven foreign airlines, including Thai Airways International, Air Asia and Bangkok Airways, and two local carriers are operating in and out of Laos. Some of these airlines run charter flights during high season.
One of the biggest investment opportunities touted by the Lao government is Asean Paradise Savan City in the Savannakhet special economic zone, just cross the Mekong River from Thailand's Mukdahan province.
Last year, the European Council on Tourism and Trade named Laos the “World's Best Tourist Destination for 2013,” which put the country on the global tourism map especially for its rich history, culture, traditions and natural beauty.
In 2008, The New York Times named Laos as one of 53 countries it described as the world's top tourist destinations.
Luang Prabang received the Top City Gold Award after being voted the world's top tourist destination by Wanderlust, a UK-based travel magazine, from 2006 to 2008 and 2010 to 2012.
vientiane times
