Lancang-Mekong Cooperation accelerates tourism development

“Lancang-Mekong Cooperation is great. We will definitely follow its footsteps.”On January 18, 2018, eight days after the Phnom Penh Declaration of the Second Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting, in Lao Golden Triangle Economic Special Zone, Haozhi Manor Hotel opened. Zeng Guiming, the project manager and board director of Lao Jinwufu International Tourism and Transportation Trading Co., Ltd. and Thai Jinwufu International Tourism Co., Ltd, shared his opening speech with his friends.

Border tour between Yunnan and Myanmar becomes increasingly popular during holidays. (Photo by Yang Zheng)

Zeng Guiming has been exploring in the Southeast Asia tourism industry since 2002. He told the reporter that in the past, to tour in Lancang-Mekong River country, the route is relatively single, and generally are plane + bus combination. Now, tourists can choose air, highway (self-driving or self-driving after landing) and even water way to visit each Lancang-Mekong country.

“In the region, since the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation carried out by China, Cambodia,Laos,Myanmar,Thailand, and Vietnam, the number of tourists to Southeast Asia significantly increased, and travel agencies are constantly developing more tourism routes.” Zeng Guiming said that compared to the traditional city sightseeing tour, up to half a month self-driving trip across three or even four countries in the Lancang-Mekong region is not unusual. In the future, when the China-Thailand Railway opens to traffic, tourists choose the way of travel will be more diversified.

 “Before the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, customs clearance at border crossings is cumbersome. Self-driving tour needed to be approved 15 working days in advance, not even including inspections on car and driver. Even after the clearance, visitors can only visit the border area. But now, tourists can tour across the border with their ID.

Thailand and Laos have launched joint projects to ‘condense’ the process into a magnetic card, which, while greatly simplifying the process, also prolongs the time of stay in the country.” Zeng Guiming said.

“Laos’ economy is underdeveloped, but its primitive style attracts tourists from all over the world.”Zeng Guiming said that benefit from Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, in the Lao Golden Triangle area, projects such as viewing three countries by air balloon, ATV all terrain car jungle off-road, Mekong River Prince river food tasting experiencing, and folk culture garden tour, have attracted more and more tourists. There are even not a small number of Chinese tourists from the north drive all the way down south to the Lancang-Mekong countries for tourism.

“One river connects six countries with their fates tightly linked. Yunnan can be very promising in tourism cooperation.”Yunnan Province puts forward that it should give full play to its regional advantages in the Belt and Road construction and opening-up strategy, and to deepen the cooperation with its neighboring countries in various fields.

“Let’s go for it! This is a rare opportunity,”he said happily.

Editor: Wang Shixue