Khong district enjoys boom in tourism, income
Khong district enjoys boom in tourism, income
Khong district in Champassak province expects to see its tourism income reach 125 billion kip by the end of the year, an increase of 10 percent from last year.
Khong district Governor Mr Sanan Siphaphommachanh said yesterday that the district's offering of activities on the popular islands of Don Det and Don Khone will be one of the main factors driving continued growth there.
Last year, Khong district welcomed 550,000 tourists, an increase of 9.5 percent from the year before, the majority of whom are visiting from neighbouring countries such as Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand.
The district's tourism income has climbed to 100 billion kip, a rise of 8 percent compared to 2015.
This year expects to see an increase of 12 percent in tourist arrivals as more connecting tour agents in the Mekong region service the area.
Mr Sanan said Khong district has both well-known water activities and jungles and that tourists love spending time relaxing around the river. This has helped drive the tourism industry year by year while tour companies have also expanded over the last five years.
Recently, the district has encouraged tour companies, guesthouses and locals to work together in an effort to provide better facilities for tourists who travel around the islands, including Don Det and Don Khone.
Local tour agents have connected with tour companies in Vientiane and in neighbouring countries, which has helped to attract even more tourists.
However, the district is still working on improvements in its infrastructure and transport to further increase convenience for tourists coming from Europe and other parts of Asia, especially Asean countries.
It will continue to improve standards in guesthouses and restaurants, and develop even more activities for tourists.
The Khonphapheng Zone will soon be subject to a signed Memorandum of Understanding with Chinese investors, who have proposed to develop the region into a �modern tourism area�.
The Khonphapheng Zone has allocated an area of 7,000 hectares for the development of a special economic zone, of which 2,300 hectares has been allocated for urban development.
Specifically, it will be a designated area for attracting both foreign and domestic investments in the fields of ecotourism, trade, services and transportation.
This development is in line with the policy on special economic zones which focuses on the development of the area as a possible city in the mostly rural locality.
