Xieng Khuang provincial authorities are hoping to open the door to the province's tourist attractions with two important new keys.

The first is the promotion of the Plain of Jars as a World Heritage Site in 2010 and the second is the construction of an international airport.

Xieng Khuang provincial Tourism Department Director, Mr Khamphet Phommadouangkaison, said “Our province has two big keys to open the door of worldwide tourism promotion.”

“Our vision for the development of our tourist attractions is to make changes in a logical way and follow the slogan ‘a smoke-free tourist industry',” he added.

“The province ranks tourism as second in importance to livestock rearing in its development master plan.”



“At present we are working on documents relating to the Plain of Jars which we will send to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). We hope to have finished all the documents soon and they should be approved by UNESCO by 2010,” Mr Khamphet said.

“We plan to upgrade the provincial airport to an international airport in the near future. The project is now under discussion and we will send a project proposal to the government.”

Another of the province's plans is to develop the 750ha hill on Koud Mountain in Phoukoud district into a new tourist attraction, with a possible opening in 2009.

The Acting Governor of Xieng Khuang province, Mr Viengthanom Phommachanh, said last week the airport expansion would be financed by a loan from a neighbouring country worth about US$50 million.

He said this development would start in the near future because it was very important in bringing more tourists to the province.

“If we have better transport facilities we will get more tourists here. Most of them want to make short trips to local areas of interest so they have more time to spend at the site they visit,” Mr Viengthanom said.

According to a report from the Xieng Khuang provincial Tourism Department, there are actually 1,900 jars scattered over 52 sites, but only three sites are open to the public - two in Kham district and another in Khoun district.

The province has 14 hotels and more than 40 guesthouses.

Most visitors to the province come from Europe, with the rest coming mostly from Japan , China , Vietnam and Thailand .

By Sisay Vilaysack
Vientianetimes