Lam Dong Province will send its representatives to Laos on a mission to look for the opportunity to establish air connections between Lien Khuong Airport in this Central Highlands province and well-known destinations in the region

Lam Dong’s vice chairman Hoang Sy Son told the Daily that the mission to promote the recently-upgraded airport was scheduled to take place soon later this year following positive results of similar trips to Singapore and Cambodia’s Siem Reap in previous months.

Son said as Singapore, Siem Reap and Laos were tourist-frequented spots, international flight links between these destinations and Lien Khuong Airport would help bring more foreign travelers to Lam Dong and give a boost to its tourism.

Wellness, eco-tourism and MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) remain the key products the local tourism sector was developing to meet the demand of both domestic and foreign visitors.

“More luxury hotels are up and running, especially the properties able to host major international conferences,” Son said. He added resort developments out of Dalat City and other sites in the province were also on track.

Son said Lam Dong had learnt a good lesson from the 28th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Energy (SOME 28) in the resort town of Dalat last month and what facilities the province would invest to better host big events.

Lien Khuong Airport, about 30 kilometers from Dalat, demonstrated its capacity to service international flights from the region as it successfully handled international charter flights during the SOME 28.

Lam Dong attracted around 2.5 million travelers last year to its capital city Dalat and other destinations, and is looking to more than three million in 2010. International arrivals are forecast to account for 10% of this year’s number.

Currently, Lien Khuong is the destination for the only regular domestic flights operated by Vietnam Airlines though this airport was upgraded in the fourth quarter of 2009 to handle more passengers and more aircraft.

A new well-equipped terminal at Lien Khuong can serve two million passengers a year and the 3,250-meter-long, 45-meter-wide runway is good for Airbus A320s and A321s as well as Boeing B737s to land and take off during the daytime and at night. The parking area has enough space for seven aircraft.

Lien Khuong handled around 205,000 passengers and nearly 2,500 tons of cargo last year, a year-on-year increase of 46% and 39% respectively. The corresponding rises in the first half of this year were up to 60% to 134,000 passengers and 55% to more than 1,570 tons compared to the same period last year.

Source: VietNamNet/SGT