Laos is rich in mining resources, tourism resources, world cultural heritage and world natural heritage more, due to the slow development of Laos, so the development of mining resources and tourism resources is in the initial stage, according to Laosbn in Laos research and visit found that Laos is currently large-scale mining of potash ore, gold ore, coal mine from the current point of view, the output value is larger, based on most of the mining area mining in the primary mining, so the mining development space is huge. At the same time, according to the Russian Sputnik news agency on November 11**, the number of foreign tourists to Laos in the first nine months of 2023 exceeded 2.4 million, which is an increase of 285% over the same period last year, and the report attributed the increase to the operation of international passenger trains on the China-Laos Railway.
Therefore, it can be basically seen that in addition to the main agriculture of Laos, Laos's mining and tourism may become the main engine of Laos' economic development in the future.
Mining industry resources convergence Laos ushered in the first period of mining development
Laos is rich in mineral resources, mainly including gold, silver, copper, iron, aluminum, zinc, tin, lead, nickel, antimony, cobalt, molybdenum, bismuth, niobium, tantalum, beryllium, lithium, rubidium, cesium, rare earths, etc. Laos** attaches great importance to the development of the mining industry and lists it as one of the important pillars of the country's economic development.
Laos' mining resources, especially gold, copper, iron, aluminum, etc., have high mining value. With the development of the global economy, the demand for mineral resources is increasing, providing a broad market space for the development of Laos mining. From the geographical point of view, Laos is located in Southeast Asia, with superior geographical location and convenient transportation, which is conducive to the import and export of mineral resources, while Laos is rich in labor resources and low labor costs, which is conducive to reducing the production costs of mining enterprises.
Up to now, the Eighth Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) for the development of energy and mineral resources in Laos has been implemented well, and the development of the energy and mineral industry has been generally smooth. In the field of minerals, Laos** has approved a total of 193 companies to engage in geological exploration and mineral development, including 69 geological exploration companies, 43 project consulting companies and 81 mineral development companies. In the past five years, the energy and mining industry has paid a total of 17 taxes to **US$5.4 billion, or 16% of GDP, of which the power and mining industries are taxed 10$200 million and 7$3.4 billion.
It is worth noting that in 2012, Laos suspended the approval of new mining, rubber and eucalyptus planting and other concession projects, and the enthusiasm of foreign investment was affected to a certain extent. Laos currently has 570 proven mining areas, covering 162,104 square kilometers, accounting for 68% of the country's land area46%。There are 649 companies engaged in the exploration, exploitation and feasibility study stages of 942 mining sectors. According to Laos's "February 6, 2020", Lao Prime Minister Thongloun attended the summary meeting of the eighth five-year plan for the development of energy and mineral resources in Laos (2016-2020), stressing that the development of energy and mining should adhere to the socialist market economy, combine the comparative advantages of Laos with the strengthening of international and regional cooperation, and continue to implement the policy of combining ore development and processing with the export of mineral products to replace the export of raw ore.
Quoting Yan Yong, general manager of IHC Mining Company, consultant of Yunnan Chamber of Commerce in Laos, it is now the first period of Laos' development, China's capital flow and technology flow are continuously entering Laos, and Laos has huge development potential and unlimited opportunities. I hope that in the future, we can communicate and exchange more, integrate ore resources, optimize the industrial chain, and achieve win-win development through joint research and cooperation.
The China-Laos Railway helps Laos develop tourism and the tourism industry is on the fast track
In recent years, Laos** has invested a lot of money in the construction of tourism infrastructure, such as the construction of roads, airports, hotels and other facilities to meet the growing demand of tourists. At the same time, ** has also launched a series of preferential policies to encourage foreign investment in the tourism industry to improve the overall level of Laos' tourism industry. Although the tourism industry in Laos has achieved some development, there are still many problems, such as insufficient tourism facilities and service quality that needs to be improved. In addition, Laos' tourism products are relatively simple, lacking depth and characteristics, and it is difficult to meet the needs of different tourists. In order to further develop the tourism resources of Laos, we should increase support for the tourism industry, strengthen the construction of tourism infrastructure, and improve the quality of tourism services. At the same time, innovation should be encouraged to develop tourism products with Lao characteristics to attract more tourists to sightseeing.
Luang Prabang City and Pasevap Temple in Laos have been included in the World Cultural Heritage List, and the famous scenic spots include Vientiane Pagoda Luang, Jade Buddha Temple, Chamba Saikhong Waterfall, Luang Prabang Guangsi Waterfall and so on. Since the opening up of the revolution, tourism has become a new industry in Laos' economic development. In recent years, Laos has signed cooperation agreements with more than 500 foreign tourism companies, opened 15 international tourist ports, and adopted measures such as increasing investment in tourism infrastructure, reducing visa fees, and relaxing border tourism procedures, so that the tourism industry has continued to develop. According to the Tourism Competitiveness Index report released by the World Economic Forum, Laos ranks 94th out of 136 economies, with more than 4 million tourists visiting Laos in 2018.
On January 25, 2019, the "China-Laos Tourism Year" co-sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Laos opened in Vientiane, which is an important measure for the two countries to further promote people-to-people exchanges, seek well-being for the people of the two countries, and provide impetus for the development of Laos' tourism industry. On the morning of December 31, 2019, the 1,000,000th Chinese tourist of 2019 was welcomed at Wattay International Airport, Vientiane, the capital of Laos, marking the perfect end of the "China-Laos Tourism Year". The number of foreign tourists visiting Laos in the first nine months of 2023 exceeded 2.4 million.
With the opening of the China-Laos Railway and the connection of the Laos-Thailand Railway, Laos has a huge space for the development of tourism and is expected to become one of the important tourist destinations in Southeast Asia in the future. As long as we work together with enterprises, increase investment and improve service quality, Laos' tourism industry will usher in a better future.
References**:
Research Institute of International Economic Cooperation, Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China.
Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy in Laos.
Department of Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation, Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China.