25th SEA Games, Laos

The Accommodation, Food and Tourism Committee of the 25th SEA Games will organise free shuttle buses giving city tours for invited guests and athletes attending the event in Vientiane from December 9 to 18.

Deputy Director of the committee, Dr Sila Mounthalavong yesterday said the shuttle buses will be part of the committee's service to promote tourism during the games.

“Guests and athletes will be able to explore the city and visit famous historic and cultural sites, while also enjoying shopping at handicraft stores and malls in the capital,” he said.

Dr Sila, who is also Vice Chairman of the Lao National Tourism Administration, said the committee would organise for some hotels and the SEA Games' Athletes' Village to sell special tour programmes for various locations around Laos .

Domestic tour operators will also sell tour packages to regional and international visitors who want to see the games and travel through Laos , he said.

“We are in the process of sending information on our package tour programmes to SEA Games Organising Committees in other countries to help us promote the programmes in those countries in the lead-up to the games,” he said.

Dr Sila said the committee also plans to print tourist handbooks to provide information about entering Laos and other details on accommodation, food, shopping places and tourist sites.

In addition, the committee will print maps to facilitate visitors touring the nation.

“Upgrading the quality of services in hotels, guesthouses, restaurants and tour guides is also important so we can provide the best services possible for those attending the games in Vientiane ,” he said.

“Advertising the games effectively can not be achieved by one sector alone, but needs all sectors and people to get involved,” he said.

Popular historic and cultural tourism sites in central Vientiane include the city's oldest temple, Vat Sisaket, which contains thousands of miniature Buddha images, and the former royal temple of Vat Prakeo where the famous Emerald Buddha image was previously housed.

A visit to the nation's symbol, the sacred structure of Thatluang Stupa where Lao people from around the nation gather to worship on significant days of the year, should be on any tourists agenda.

A day in the city can be rounded off with a trip to Patuxay Monument , known as Vientiane 's own Arc de Triumph, and viewing the sunset by the banks of the Mekong River .

Buddha Park , or Xieng Khuan, is one of Vientiane 's major cultural tourism sites located on the banks of the Mekong River on outskirts of the city.

The park contains hundreds of statues of Buddhist and Hindu deities. On the pleasant 28km journey along Thadeua road to the park visitors will also pass the National Cultural Park and the Lao-Thai International Friendship Bridge.

By Panyasith Thammavongsa
Vientianetimes

(KPL) The 25th SEA Games Committee for Accommodation, Food, Decoration and tourism is in need of financial support to cater to the domestic and foreign visitors as well as athletes, and they would boost the local economy by spending as much as four billion kip.

Deputy Mayor of Vientiane, Somvandy Nathavong, who is in charge of this committee, revealed that regarding the hosting of this sporting event here, the Lao government is making an effort to strengthen the solidarity, culture, economy and friendship among the participating countries.

He said this when he to the Vientiane executive broad on 24 April on the progress of the preparation for the upcoming 25th SEA Games, to be held in Vientiane at the end of this year.

He said that the cost of the preparatory work for his committee is 4.8 billion kip.
At the present, 70 hotels in five districts in Vientaine Capital are considered fit to accommodate the visitors and athletes, he said to the executive board.

A football stadium in Vientiane to be used for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 25th SEA Games will be finished by March next year, according to officials.

The stadium is currently 70 percent complete. The Chairman of the 25th SEA Games Organising Committee is Standing Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad. Mr Somsavat, ministry officials and senior officials from the Lao National Sports Committee (LNSC) surveyed progress on construction of the site in Vientiane yesterday. Mr Somsavat said construction was on schedule and officials were pleased the facilities would be ready in time for the games.

The football stadium must be finished by July next year, under an agreement signed by the LNSC and construction companies. The Industrial Park Overseas Investment Co Ltd, China Yunnan Construction Engineering Group Corporation and China Development Bank are undertaking construction of the sporting facilities.

Mr Somsavat said the football stadium was an indication of the cooperation relationship between Laos and China and he believed athletes from other countries would be impressed by the facilities. He said officials were confident Laos would host a successful event, thanks to the support of China.

Industrial Park Overseas Investment and China Yunnan Construction Engineering Group have employed more than 1,200 personnel from China and 400 Lao labourers to work at the site. All the sporting arenas will meet requirements as stipulated by the Asian Athletic Federation. In addition to the football stadium, athletes’ accommodation, two multipurpose indoor stadiums, tennis courts, a shooting field, an archery field and a swimming pool are all being built on 1,000 hectares of land in Dongsanghin village, Xaythany district, 16km south of the city centre.

A contract for the construction of the main stadium was signed between the Lao government and the China Development Bank in Vientiane in April 2007. The two Chinese construction companies have agreed to lease the land for 50 years from the Lao government. At the end of this period the facility will be handed back to the Lao people. Construction of the complex is projected to cost US$100 million. Mr Somsavat and his delegation visited the athletes’ dormitory at the National University of Laos’ Dongdok campus, which is currently about 15 percent complete and on track for completion in June next year. The taekwondo training centre at the National University of Laos is being built with funding assistance of US$300,000 from the Booyoung Company of the Republic of Korea. The Lao national taekwondo team will begin training at the centre in preparation for the SEA Games as soon as construction is complete.

The LNSC will use the centre to host future national and provincial taekwondo, wrestling and other martial arts events.

Vientianetimes