The Malaysian Ambassador to Laos Mr. Edi Irwan Mahmud recently expressed his support in helping Laos grow its tourism as the country prepares to assume ASEAN chairmanship in 2024.
The Lao government has been prioritizing tourism to revitalize the economy and welcome more foreign visitors to the country this year. It seeks to maximize this effort after the reopening of the Laos-China border on January 8 and with the continued popularity of the high-speed Laos-China railway that has transformed traveling within the country.
In a recent interview with Lao National Television, Malaysian Ambassador Mr. Edi Irwan Bin Mahmud underlined the importance of Laos-Malaysia bilateral relations and vowed to keep working with Laos in its tourism reopening and the country’s preparations for the 2024 ASEAN chairmanship.
He said, “Many Malaysian tourists don’t know what Laos has to offer in terms of its natural beauty like forests, waterfalls, etc. This is also hindered by connectivity as there are no direct flights between the two countries at the moment.”
The Ambassador added that with the reopening of the Air Asia direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and Vientiane end of March, he expects the number of tourists traveling between the countries will increase.
He also spoke about how word-of-mouth can also ensure more Malaysian tourists visit Laos.
“Last week I went to Vang Vieng which has become much more accessible by road thanks to the new highway. This is an experience we can share with the Malaysian community to ensure more of them come to Laos for tourism purposes.”
The Ambassador concluded the interview by stating that Malaysia will support Laos in whatever ways possible for its ASEAN chairmanship in 2024 as it had previously stood by the country in 2004 and 2016 when it held the ASEAN chair.
