The ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) will be held in Laos next year and the event will focus on aspects like sustainability, digitalization, and labor shortage to improve the tourism industry in Southeast Asia.
Travel Weekly Asia reports that ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA) has been selected to organize the Travel Exchange (TRAVEX), a regional marketplace and fair for ASEAN country members at the Lao-ITECC Exhibition Centre in Vientiane Capital during the ATF.
To this effect, a Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism (MICT), and the ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA), appointing the latter to organize Travex for ATF 2024.
The ASEAN Tourism Forum will be held in Vientiane Capital on 22-27 January 2024 under the theme, “Quality and Responsible Tourism: Sustaining ASEAN’s Future.” The event has been touted by organizers as ‘an event by the industry, for the industry’.
“ATF 2024 will be an event by the industry, for the industry. We are harnessing the collective creativity of the ASEAN tourism community as a whole,” said Mr. Eddy Soemawilaga, ASEAN Tourism Association President.
“ATF will leverage stronger education conference sessions to raise human capital development as the manpower shortage becomes a glaring issue. Technology, too, will be a core component in an era of sustainability,” he stated.
https://www.tourismlaos.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Feature-Pics-20.jpg6271200Sylivanla Vongphachanhhttps://www.tourismlaos.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Lao-Simply-Beautiful-.webpSylivanla Vongphachanh2023-04-25 10:26:032023-05-18 11:23:09Laos All Set to Host Asean Tourism Forum 2024
Vientiane Capital is set to repair and restore its roads in preparation for the 2024 ASEAN summit and other upcoming government meetings.
Mr. Atsaphangthong Siphandone, the Mayor of Vientiane Capital, said at a government meeting that this year, the city would repair various roads and resolve traffic issues in preparation to host the ASEAN Summit next year.
Alongside mending damaged roads, authorities will also repair traffic lights, clean up pavements, and inspect permissions for construction and urban planning.
Mr. Atsaphangthong said that Vientiane Capital will primarily focus on maintaining cleanliness along the main roads in the city, focusing on the management and protection of public parks and roadside trees, as well as the development of the area around the Patuxay monument.
He added that the main drainage channels in the city will be cleaned and roadside ditches will be filled up to resolve the problem of stagnant water during monsoons. Authorities will also deploy a rescue team to clear out roads after storms.
Lao Ministry of Public Works and Transport plans to spend more than LAK 190 billion (USD 11,256,569) on road repairs and flood management in Vientiane before the ASEAN Summit in 2024.
https://www.tourismlaos.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Motorists-in-Vientiane-Capital-on-Ave-Lane-Xang-near-Patuxay-Monumentt-.jpg6271200Sylivanla Vongphachanhhttps://www.tourismlaos.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Lao-Simply-Beautiful-.webpSylivanla Vongphachanh2023-04-24 10:25:392023-04-24 10:25:43Vientiane Capital to Repair Roads Ahead of 2024 ASEAN Summit
The Laos-China Railway company has released the train schedule for inter-country travel between Vientiane Capital and Kunming, which starts on 13 April, just one day ahead of Lao New Year.
The EMU D888/D887 train will transport passengers on the international rail line.
Passengers will depart from Vientiane Capital at 8:08 AM, and arrive in Kunming South Railway station in China at 19:38 PM Lao time.
The train will make several stops along the way, arriving in Vang Vieng at 9:03 AM, then stopping in Luang Prabang at 9:57 AM, and finally at Boten for its last stop in Laos at 12:37 PM.
Once it crosses the border, the train will make three stops in China before finally arriving in Kunming. Stops at Bohan, Xishuangbunna, Pu’er will be made along the way, with each halt lasting about 3-6 minutes.
Tickets will be available for sale starting today, for the inaugural trip which takes off from Vientiane on 13 April.
The LCR reports that it expects to welcome over 200 Chinese tourists into Laos on the historic first international train ride from Kunming to Vientiane Capital.
Laos All Set to Host Asean Tourism Forum 2024
The ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) will be held in Laos next year and the event will focus on aspects like sustainability, digitalization, and labor shortage to improve the tourism industry in Southeast Asia.
Travel Weekly Asia reports that ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA) has been selected to organize the Travel Exchange (TRAVEX), a regional marketplace and fair for ASEAN country members at the Lao-ITECC Exhibition Centre in Vientiane Capital during the ATF.
To this effect, a Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism (MICT), and the ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA), appointing the latter to organize Travex for ATF 2024.
The ASEAN Tourism Forum will be held in Vientiane Capital on 22-27 January 2024 under the theme, “Quality and Responsible Tourism: Sustaining ASEAN’s Future.” The event has been touted by organizers as ‘an event by the industry, for the industry’.
“ATF 2024 will be an event by the industry, for the industry. We are harnessing the collective creativity of the ASEAN tourism community as a whole,” said Mr. Eddy Soemawilaga, ASEAN Tourism Association President.
“ATF will leverage stronger education conference sessions to raise human capital development as the manpower shortage becomes a glaring issue. Technology, too, will be a core component in an era of sustainability,” he stated.
Lao Tourism Marketing Department under the Ministry of Information expects to welcome about 350 businesses from across Southeast Asia and 200 visitors to the event in 2024.
Source: https://laotiantimes.com/2023/04/24/laos-all-set-to-host-asean-tourism-forum-2024/
Vientiane Capital to Repair Roads Ahead of 2024 ASEAN Summit
Vientiane Capital is set to repair and restore its roads in preparation for the 2024 ASEAN summit and other upcoming government meetings.
Mr. Atsaphangthong Siphandone, the Mayor of Vientiane Capital, said at a government meeting that this year, the city would repair various roads and resolve traffic issues in preparation to host the ASEAN Summit next year.
Alongside mending damaged roads, authorities will also repair traffic lights, clean up pavements, and inspect permissions for construction and urban planning.
Mr. Atsaphangthong said that Vientiane Capital will primarily focus on maintaining cleanliness along the main roads in the city, focusing on the management and protection of public parks and roadside trees, as well as the development of the area around the Patuxay monument.
He added that the main drainage channels in the city will be cleaned and roadside ditches will be filled up to resolve the problem of stagnant water during monsoons. Authorities will also deploy a rescue team to clear out roads after storms.
Lao Ministry of Public Works and Transport plans to spend more than LAK 190 billion (USD 11,256,569) on road repairs and flood management in Vientiane before the ASEAN Summit in 2024.
Source: https://laotiantimes.com/2023/04/21/vientiane-capital-to-repair-roads-ahead-of-2024-asean-summit/
Laos-China Railway Releases Vientiane-Kunming Train Schedule
The Laos-China Railway company has released the train schedule for inter-country travel between Vientiane Capital and Kunming, which starts on 13 April, just one day ahead of Lao New Year.
The EMU D888/D887 train will transport passengers on the international rail line.
Passengers will depart from Vientiane Capital at 8:08 AM, and arrive in Kunming South Railway station in China at 19:38 PM Lao time.
The train will make several stops along the way, arriving in Vang Vieng at 9:03 AM, then stopping in Luang Prabang at 9:57 AM, and finally at Boten for its last stop in Laos at 12:37 PM.
Once it crosses the border, the train will make three stops in China before finally arriving in Kunming. Stops at Bohan, Xishuangbunna, Pu’er will be made along the way, with each halt lasting about 3-6 minutes.
Tickets will be available for sale starting today, for the inaugural trip which takes off from Vientiane on 13 April.
The LCR reports that it expects to welcome over 200 Chinese tourists into Laos on the historic first international train ride from Kunming to Vientiane Capital.
Source: https://laotiantimes.com/2023/04/11/laos-china-railway-releases-vientiane-kunming-train-schedule/