The Sustainable Tourism Solutions Expo welcomed several hundred visitors at their respective events in Luang Prabang and Vientiane over the past two years, as the region’s leading specialized fair for the tourism industry to celebrate, explore, and exhibit the latest trends, insights, and technology in sustainable tourism and hospitality practices. The event has now rebranded as the ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Solutions Expo (ASTSE) in order to better reflect its importance in Southeast Asia, and this year’s edition will take place on 6–7 November 2020.
35 exhibitors from around Laos will showcase their products, services, and initiatives over the course of the event. The exhibitors represent several categories relevant to the theme of the event: eco-friendly hotel supplies, plastic alternatives, water and energy conservation systems, as well as initiatives and projects. They are: Aqua de Bamboo, Asia One Resort Supply, Birds Follow Spring, Business Assistance Facility (BAF), CS Lighting, DCT Service Center, E&M Solutions, Free the Bears, GAEBI, Greener Laos & Zero Waste Laos, Hospitality International Services, JHA Trading, Kinnari – Tea of Laos & Chocolate Dream, KV Solar Shop, Lao Clean Agriculture Development, Lao Conservation Trust for Wildlife, Lao Natural, Laobiogas, Mai Savanh Lao, Nahm Dong Park & Eco-Plates, Nakai Nam Theun National Park, Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park, Nam Kat Yorlapa & Nampien Yorlapa, Panyanivej Organic Farm, Pawan Farm, Plastic Free Laos & EconoxLaos, Shopping-D, Skills for Tourism Project (LAO/029), TerraClear, Thaan Fun Organic Farm, Thavixok Rattan House, Tricontinental, USAID Lao Business Environment, Weaving Sisters, and Wongpanit Laos. The Lao Thiao Lao campaign will also be represented at the event, with information to share on their promotion of domestic tourism.
One of the most enriching parts of the expo will be its symposia program, bringing together renowned thinkers to discuss topics that matter greatly to the Lao and regional tourism industries. On Friday, 6 November 2020, there will be three panel discussions, namely “The Future of Tourism in ASEAN and Laos, “Safe Travels: The Importance of Health and Safety in Effective Recovery Protocols,” and Rebuilding a More Resilient Tourism Workforce. On the second day of the expo, 7 November 2020, visitors can attend two panel discussions, “Developing a Post-Covid-19 Recovery Plan for the Tourism Sector” and “Practical Solutions to Plastic Reduction in Laos.” On that day, there will also be an interactive biodiversity and conservation activity led by Lao Conservation Trust for Wildlife and Free the Bears.
This year, in an effort to include regional visitors who are not able to attend due to travel restrictions, the organizers have brought our expo online. On 5–6 November 2020, visitors will find another 20 exhibitors and high-tech communication tools at astse.vfairs.com. There will also be symposia to watch on the site, including several live panel discussions, in addition to on-demand webinars.
The ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Solutions Expo is organized by the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism, with support from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the ASEAN Secretariat, and supported by the German Development Cooperation. The expo’s generous sponsors include USAID, the Lao/029 Skills for Tourism Project, TTG Asia, and the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office.
For a complete list of exhibitors, a full schedule, or details about symposia and speakers, please visit https://astse.vfairs.com/
https://www.tourismlaos.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/122320045_394945525203559_8386827692705865875_o-696x392-1.png392696Sylivanla Vongphachanhhttps://www.tourismlaos.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Lao-Simply-Beautiful-.webpSylivanla Vongphachanh2020-11-03 13:39:092020-11-04 15:12:25ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Solutions Expo to be Held on 6–7 November 2020
The first station along the Laos-China Railway was completed on Wednesday, marking a significant occasion for the railway line.
The last concrete casting on top of Nateuy Station has been completed, making it the first station fully constructed along the train line.
Nateuy Station includes one platform and three tracks, a station hall, a waiting hall, ticket halls, substations, and offices. The station, located some 20 kilometers from the Boten Border Crossing, will be a key passenger and freight distribution center in Laos, Xinhua reports.
China Railway Construction Engineering Group (CRCEG) has continued to work diligently in the face of setbacks including monsoon weather and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Despite many challenges, the engineers ensured that the station was completed on Wednesday, ahead of schedule.
Vientiane Station, located in Xay Village, Xaythany District, is to be built by China Railway Construction Group. The station will consist of four platforms with seven track lines and two additional platforms with three lines reserved.
The station will accommodate up to 2,500 passengers with a total area of 14,543 square meters, according to Laos-China Railway Co. (LCRC), the Vientiane-based joint venture enterprise responsible for the development and operation of the railway.
“Vientiane Station will be the largest passenger station of the Laos-China railway, and it is expected to connect with the other railway lines planned by the Lao side,” said Head of the Laos-China Railway Project Management Committee under the Lao Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Mr. Chantoula Phanalasy at the ceremony.
The Laos-China Railway project has been constructed under Chinese management and to Chinese technological standards and is scheduled to open to traffic in December 2021.
The Laos-China Railway will run some 414 kilometers, including 198km of tunnels, and will traverse 62km of bridges. It will run from the Boten border gate, connecting Northern Laos to China, down to Vientiane Capital, with an operating speed of 160km per hour.
https://www.tourismlaos.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Nateuy-Station-is-First-Station-Complete-on-Laos-China-Railway.jpg6271200Sylivanla Vongphachanhhttps://www.tourismlaos.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Lao-Simply-Beautiful-.webpSylivanla Vongphachanh2020-09-22 15:19:572024-04-24 14:07:42First Station Complete Along Laos-China Railway
The Vientiane to Vang Vieng expressway linking the nation’s capital with the resort town of Vang Vieng is expected to be ready for use by December this year.
According to a report in Vientiane Mai, the completed expressway, which stretches some 113 kilometers, will be officially handed over on the occasion of the 45th National Day (2 December) this year.
The expressway will allow motorists to travel at speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour, linking the flat stretches from Naxaythong District in Vientiane Capital with Phonhong, Hin Heub and Vang Vieng districts in Vientiane Province.
The expressway project began at the end of 2018 and was scheduled for completion in 2021, however, it is now 90 percent complete, ahead of schedule.
Chinese investors will operate the expressway under a 50-year concession agreement, valued at USD1.2 billion, with the Lao government holding a five percent stake
The expressway toll is expected to be charged at approximately 550 kip per kilometer, meaning around LAK 60,000 for a one-way trip from Vientiane to Vang Vieng, cutting the travel time to under two hours.
The Vientiane-Vang Vieng expressway is the first section of the planned Vientiane-Boten expressway, which the Lao government and the Chinese developer, a state construction enterprise from Yunnan province, plan to jointly build to link Vientiane with the northern province of Luang Namtha, which borders China.
https://www.tourismlaos.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Vientiane-to-Vang-Vieng-Expressway-to-Open-December.jpg6271200Sylivanla Vongphachanhhttps://www.tourismlaos.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Lao-Simply-Beautiful-.webpSylivanla Vongphachanh2020-09-22 15:16:522020-09-22 15:16:54Vientiane to Vang Vieng Expressway to Open by December
ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Solutions Expo to be Held on 6–7 November 2020
The Sustainable Tourism Solutions Expo welcomed several hundred visitors at their respective events in Luang Prabang and Vientiane over the past two years, as the region’s leading specialized fair for the tourism industry to celebrate, explore, and exhibit the latest trends, insights, and technology in sustainable tourism and hospitality practices. The event has now rebranded as the ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Solutions Expo (ASTSE) in order to better reflect its importance in Southeast Asia, and this year’s edition will take place on 6–7 November 2020.
35 exhibitors from around Laos will showcase their products, services, and initiatives over the course of the event. The exhibitors represent several categories relevant to the theme of the event: eco-friendly hotel supplies, plastic alternatives, water and energy conservation systems, as well as initiatives and projects. They are: Aqua de Bamboo, Asia One Resort Supply, Birds Follow Spring, Business Assistance Facility (BAF), CS Lighting, DCT Service Center, E&M Solutions, Free the Bears, GAEBI, Greener Laos & Zero Waste Laos, Hospitality International Services, JHA Trading, Kinnari – Tea of Laos & Chocolate Dream, KV Solar Shop, Lao Clean Agriculture Development, Lao Conservation Trust for Wildlife, Lao Natural, Laobiogas, Mai Savanh Lao, Nahm Dong Park & Eco-Plates, Nakai Nam Theun National Park, Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park, Nam Kat Yorlapa & Nampien Yorlapa, Panyanivej Organic Farm, Pawan Farm, Plastic Free Laos & EconoxLaos, Shopping-D, Skills for Tourism Project (LAO/029), TerraClear, Thaan Fun Organic Farm, Thavixok Rattan House, Tricontinental, USAID Lao Business Environment, Weaving Sisters, and Wongpanit Laos. The Lao Thiao Lao campaign will also be represented at the event, with information to share on their promotion of domestic tourism.
One of the most enriching parts of the expo will be its symposia program, bringing together renowned thinkers to discuss topics that matter greatly to the Lao and regional tourism industries. On Friday, 6 November 2020, there will be three panel discussions, namely “The Future of Tourism in ASEAN and Laos, “Safe Travels: The Importance of Health and Safety in Effective Recovery Protocols,” and Rebuilding a More Resilient Tourism Workforce. On the second day of the expo, 7 November 2020, visitors can attend two panel discussions, “Developing a Post-Covid-19 Recovery Plan for the Tourism Sector” and “Practical Solutions to Plastic Reduction in Laos.” On that day, there will also be an interactive biodiversity and conservation activity led by Lao Conservation Trust for Wildlife and Free the Bears.
This year, in an effort to include regional visitors who are not able to attend due to travel restrictions, the organizers have brought our expo online. On 5–6 November 2020, visitors will find another 20 exhibitors and high-tech communication tools at astse.vfairs.com. There will also be symposia to watch on the site, including several live panel discussions, in addition to on-demand webinars.
The ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Solutions Expo is organized by the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism, with support from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the ASEAN Secretariat, and supported by the German Development Cooperation. The expo’s generous sponsors include USAID, the Lao/029 Skills for Tourism Project, TTG Asia, and the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office.
For a complete list of exhibitors, a full schedule, or details about symposia and speakers, please visit https://astse.vfairs.com/
First Station Complete Along Laos-China Railway
The first station along the Laos-China Railway was completed on Wednesday, marking a significant occasion for the railway line.
The last concrete casting on top of Nateuy Station has been completed, making it the first station fully constructed along the train line.
Nateuy Station includes one platform and three tracks, a station hall, a waiting hall, ticket halls, substations, and offices. The station, located some 20 kilometers from the Boten Border Crossing, will be a key passenger and freight distribution center in Laos, Xinhua reports.
China Railway Construction Engineering Group (CRCEG) has continued to work diligently in the face of setbacks including monsoon weather and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Despite many challenges, the engineers ensured that the station was completed on Wednesday, ahead of schedule.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of Vientiane Station was held in July.
Vientiane Station, located in Xay Village, Xaythany District, is to be built by China Railway Construction Group. The station will consist of four platforms with seven track lines and two additional platforms with three lines reserved.
The station will accommodate up to 2,500 passengers with a total area of 14,543 square meters, according to Laos-China Railway Co. (LCRC), the Vientiane-based joint venture enterprise responsible for the development and operation of the railway.
“Vientiane Station will be the largest passenger station of the Laos-China railway, and it is expected to connect with the other railway lines planned by the Lao side,” said Head of the Laos-China Railway Project Management Committee under the Lao Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Mr. Chantoula Phanalasy at the ceremony.
The Laos-China Railway project has been constructed under Chinese management and to Chinese technological standards and is scheduled to open to traffic in December 2021.
The Laos-China Railway will run some 414 kilometers, including 198km of tunnels, and will traverse 62km of bridges. It will run from the Boten border gate, connecting Northern Laos to China, down to Vientiane Capital, with an operating speed of 160km per hour.
Vientiane to Vang Vieng Expressway to Open by December
The Vientiane to Vang Vieng expressway linking the nation’s capital with the resort town of Vang Vieng is expected to be ready for use by December this year.
According to a report in Vientiane Mai, the completed expressway, which stretches some 113 kilometers, will be officially handed over on the occasion of the 45th National Day (2 December) this year.
The expressway will allow motorists to travel at speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour, linking the flat stretches from Naxaythong District in Vientiane Capital with Phonhong, Hin Heub and Vang Vieng districts in Vientiane Province.
The expressway project began at the end of 2018 and was scheduled for completion in 2021, however, it is now 90 percent complete, ahead of schedule.
Chinese investors will operate the expressway under a 50-year concession agreement, valued at USD1.2 billion, with the Lao government holding a five percent stake
The expressway toll is expected to be charged at approximately 550 kip per kilometer, meaning around LAK 60,000 for a one-way trip from Vientiane to Vang Vieng, cutting the travel time to under two hours.
The Vientiane-Vang Vieng expressway is the first section of the planned Vientiane-Boten expressway, which the Lao government and the Chinese developer, a state construction enterprise from Yunnan province, plan to jointly build to link Vientiane with the northern province of Luang Namtha, which borders China.