Vangvieng prepares for tourism festival

Tourism officials are currently finalising accommodation options for the 10,000 people expected to visit an ecotourism festival in Vangvieng district of Vientiane province from January 26-February 1.

Vientiane Provincial Tourism Department Deputy Director, Mr Boualy Mylattana, said the department was training local people in eight urban villages of the district to manage accommodation in preparation for the event.

“Each urban village expects to accommodate 500 people. We currently have more than 4,600 rooms in our province, of which Vangvieng has 1,850 beds,” he said this week.

“We can also organise camping for 300 people in our town.”

Vangvieng is hosting the festival for five central provinces : Vientiane , Borikhamxay, Khammuan and Savannakhet and Vientiane .

The festival aims to showcase tourism products and foster ecotourism development throughout the provinces of Laos and with neighbouring countries.

Mr Boualy said his department was still collecting data on accommodation in outlying villages and neighbouring districts and expected it to be correlated by mid-January.

“Our accommodation will be sufficient for our guests and visitors - we have officially invited more than 500 domestic and international guests,” he said.

“We know that now our accommodation in the town of Vangvieng is almost full, but we will reserve rooms for our 500 official guests from January 29 to February 1.”

Festival highlights will include 300 exhibition booths displaying tourism products, handicrafts, agricultural produce and industrial products from Laos , Vietnam and Thailand .

There will also be cultural performances, a traditional sports competition and a Miss Sweet Orange Beauty Contest.

The official opening ceremony will occur on January 30 and include cultural processions and traditional dancing and music.

While in Vangvieng, people will also have the opportunity to see beautiful natural scenery, visit a sweet orange farm and organic farm and go tubing or kayaking along the Xong River .

Vangvieng district is 150km north of Vientiane on Road Number 13.

By Panyasith Thammavongsa
(Latest Update January 02, 2008)
http://www.vientianetimes.org.la/Previous_01/FreeContent/Free_Vangvieng.htm