A tour group of about 200 Japanese officials, businesspeople and others arrived in Laos yesterday on a direct Boeing 767 flight from Japan especially organised by Japan Airlines. The group is the largest of its kind from Japan to visit Laos and is part of activities under the Mekong-Japan Exchange Year 2009 programme. Many of the groups are members of the Lower House of Japan's parliament. Tourism officials said the group's visit was in response to an invitation from the Lao government to learn about the richness of natural and cultural tourism sites in Laos . Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh delivered an address to welcome the group to Laos . He said the visit was an event of historical significance and would serve to strengthen friendship, solidarity, tourism promotion and mutual understanding between Laos and Japan . “In these times of financial turmoil, the Lao government attaches great importance to the tourism sector in attracting foreign exchange and driving socio-economic mechanisms to help alleviate poverty,” Mr. Bouasone said. He said the Lao tourism sector continued to grow and the government has been focusing on expanding the tourism market to Japan where people are respectful and appreciate traditional Lao culture. “The number of Japanese tourists coming to Laos has been increasing due to continued development and the enhancement of relations between our two countries through exchange visits of delegations from the highest level through to technical exchanges,” he said. The increase in visitors is also the result of visa exemptions for Japanese tourists implemented by the Lao government last year. In 2006, more than 23,000 Japanese citizens visited Laos , rising to 29,770 in 2007. The Japanese government is helping the Lao tourism sector through various training programmes and study assistance for Lao officials, including training in Japanese language skills. Japanese entrepreneurs currently hold investments in 41 projects in Laos with a total registered investment fund of US$29 million. The two nations are in the second round of negotiations on a draft agreement on the promotion and protection of investments between the two countries. Following their arrival at WattayInternationalAirport , the Japanese tour group was warmly welcomed by officials who presented them with garlands of flowers.
Deputy Director General of the Lao National Tourism Administration's Tourism Marketing and Promotion Department, Mr Douagpaseuth Paphatsalang, said Japanese tourists were attracted to Laos because it is a peaceful country with excellent tourism sites, particularly natural and cultural attractions.
