Savannakhet eyes new ecotourism zone to attract more visitors
Savannakhet eyes new ecotourism zone to attract more visitors
Savannakhet province expects to have a large increase of tourists in near future once the new provincial ecotourism zone development is complete in the Dongnatad area of Kaysone Phomvihane district.
“Visitors may grow by about 20 to 30 percent from the current figure of about 1.1 million people per year,” the Savannakhet Governor, Dr Souphan Keomixay, said on Friday.
“The 1.1 million visitors include people staying in the province for tourism and others that are just passing through Savannakhet,” Dr Souphan said.
Currently the Dongnatad area is under a feasibility study by local company, Khounxay Development and Construction Co that is cooperating with Australian and Thai firms.
Khounxay company recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Savannakhet Governor. The MOU was to allow the company to conduct the study, and “the MOU will last three months,” Dr Souphan said.
Currently the province has almost 50 tourism sites, including natural, historical and cultural sites. “The tourism sector recently has generated about 528 billion to 704 billion kip (US$66 million to US$88 million) annually in revenue for the province and local business and service operators,” Dr Souphan said.
“I think that it is possible to develop the 800 hectares at Dongnatad area as an ecotourism site to attract more visitors.”
The 800 hectares will inclu de about 100 hectares for sporting complex development. According to the proposal, the province approved study area is planned to have a 45 hole golf course, swimming pools and other indoor sport courts, hotels, resorts, condominiums, guesthouses, restaurants, convention halls and shopping malls.
Apart from these facilities the company also has plans for an amusement park, public parks as well as ecotourism and community based tourism amenities.
He said once the area is developed, it will be a joint venture investment between the government and the investors.
The project will have many development phases; and “the first phase may have an initial investment cost of about 160 billion kip (US$20 million),” he added.
The area will also attract both local and foreign investors and sportspeople to the province.
Apart from developing Dongnatad into the new economic zone, the company also has visions of supporting and promoting both natural and cultural tourism, especially the facility at Inghang Temple and Nonglom which is close to the area.
Savannakhet is located on the East-West Corridor connecting Thailand, Laos and Vietnam via the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge across the Mekong River and Road No. 9. The province is also located on the north-south arterial route Road No. 13, which runs from China to Cambodia through Laos.
vientiane times
