Tourism officials from nine northern Lao provinces and Yunnan province of China agreed on Wednesday to propose that the two governments revise border pass rules and encourage more Chinese tourists to visit Laos.
Speaking after attending the tourism session of the 3 rd meeting of the nine northern Lao provinces and Yunnan province, which took place in Oudomxay province from December 4 to 6, the director of the Luang Prabang Tourism Administration, Mr Khamphouy Phommavong, said those present had discussed the possibility that all these provinces would welcome holders of Yunnan border passes.
At present, a holder of a Yunnan border pass can only enter the country as far as the bordering provinces, such as Luang Namtha and Phongsaly. If the proposal is agreed on, border pass holders will be able to travel in northern Laos as far as Luang Prabang.
Mr Khamphouy said the Lao and Chinese tourism officials had only decided to propose this idea to the governments of the two countries for consideration, and he could therefore not confirm whether and when it would be put into practice.
He said the idea had come about because Chinese tourists from Yunnan province had been finding it difficult to obtain passports from the central government.
“It's easier for Yunnan residents to obtain a border pass, and if they know they can travel as far as Luang Prabang with this, they will be more likely to visit Laos,” he said.
He explained that if more Yunnan residents were encouraged to visit northern Laos as tourists rather than labourers, they would spend money on accommodation, food and souvenirs, which will boost the local economy.
But Mr Khamphouy said that this most recent agreement between northern Laos and Yunnan province did not take into account whether Yunnan province would allow holders of Lao border passes to travel as far as Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan.
At present, holders of Lao border passes can enter China only as far as Sisuanbanna sub-province.
Mr Khamphouy said that officials from both sides agreed that Yunnan province would play a greater role in developing a tourism plan between China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.Yunnan province officials also agreed to provide opportunities for tourism officials from northern Laos to train in Yunnan; currently, the Chinese province only assists Luang Prabang tourism officials.
Those at the session also discussed some problems relating to tourism investment to encourage Chinese entrepreneurs to do business in the northern Lao provinces.
It's good to welcome chinese tourists... if they can bring more money to Laos, why not?
But be careful with chinese tourists: in France, we have more and more chinese tourists, we are happy to welcome them and to welcome their money too (we need it so much!). But the problem is that those tourists usualy behave very bad : most of chinese tourists we have in France have low education, the don't respect rules and people: they don't respect the queue when they have to wait among many people (for us it's very very impolite), they go to luxury restaurant wearing old and dirty clothes, speaking loud, they leave their rubbish in the streets...
I hope those kind of person will soon learn to behave properly among "educated people", or this will be a strong brake for exchange with them.
It's good to welcome chinese tourists... if they can bring more money to Laos, why not?
But be careful with chinese tourists: in France, we have more and more chinese tourists, we are happy to welcome them and to welcome their money too (we need it so much!). But the problem is that those tourists usualy behave very bad : most of chinese tourists we have in France have low education, the don't respect rules and people: they don't respect the queue when they have to wait among many people (for us it's very very impolite), they go to luxury restaurant wearing old and dirty clothes, speaking loud, they leave their rubbish in the streets...
I hope those kind of person will soon learn to behave properly among "educated people", or this will be a strong brake for exchange with them.
Doesn't Lao-French or Muslim-French doing the same thing?
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"Because I criticized Laos government and it policies, it does not mean I want Laos to remain poor nor do I think Lao people are lazy or uneducated."
