Travel firms to exhibit at Mekong Tourism Forum

Tourism industry operators will advertise their services at an exhibition at the Mekong Tourism Forum 2011 in Pakxe district, Champassak province, from May 27-28.More than 80 government and private tourism operators throughout the country will have display booths at the symposium.

The Mekong Tourism Forum 2011 will open at the Champassak Grand Hotel on May 26, but the opening ceremony will be held on May 27.“The displays will highlight culture, eco-tourism, places of special interest, tour services, hotels, resorts and Lao food, Lao National Tourism Administration (LNTA) official Mr Somxay Sipaseut said on Friday.

There will also be booths offering food to delegates and the general public, he added.Many countries will be represented at the forum including all six members of the Greater Mekong Sub-region.The objective is to boost multi-destination travel between Vietnam, China, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand, Mr Somxay said.

Preparations for the event are almost complete, with nearl y 400 travel industry delegates from overseas scheduled to attend. Thousands of local people are expected to visit the exhibition each da y.The LNTA is hosting the event and is organising a mini-marathon on the day after the opening ceremony.

The day before the close of the exhibition, tours for delegates will be arranged to places of cultural and historic interest. These will include Vat Phou Champassak (the second World Heritage Site in Laos) and Khonphapheng, Phasuam and Tadfan waterfalls.Delegates will also tour the town of Pakxe and ride elephants at the Sephien National Forest Conservation Area.

Vat Phou Champassak and the province's waterfalls are among the top destinations for domestic and foreign travellers, according to officials from the Champassak provincial Tourism Office.The waterfalls are truly spectacular in the wet season. Many people know Khonphapheng waterfall but there are others dotted around the province and all are very popular with tourists, officials said.

Source = laovoices