Lao Airlines is the newest link of Singapore to its neighboring countries, which means that the Lion City is now directly connected to all other nine ASEAN members. November 29, 2011, marked the arrival of the first direct flight from Vientiane to Singapore. Flights from Vientiane to Singapore will be a thrice-weekly service.
This newest direct flight shows strong bilateral ties between Laos and Singapore. According to Travel Weekly Asia, Laos’ top ten foreign investors include Singapore, with investment from sectors of manufacturing and hospitality. It also stated that the bilateral trade between the two countries saw a substantial growth of 40 percent year-on-year to reach U$ 29 million during the first nine months of the year 2011.
Since Laos joined the ASEAN in 1997, Singapore and Laos have been regular cooperation and exchange partners in education, health care, and tourism. Passengers traveling between the two countries increased steadily within the last five years. The statistic shows that Singaporean visitors to Laos grew by about 8% annually while the number of citizens of Laos who purchased an air ticket booking to Singapore increased by some 25% every year. With the direct flight connecting the two countries, business and leisure travel are expected to increase in numbers.
Laos is also positioning itself as an attractive place for investment as well as a tourist destination featuring rich heritage sites which visitors from around the globe will enjoy.
Home to many ancient wonders such as the mysterious Plain of Jars, the UNESCO World Heritage of Luang Prabang, and the Vat Phou Temple complex, Laos is indeed rich in culture and history.
With this new direct flight, Singapore is more accessible now for the citizens of Laos who would like to seek medical treatment, tour the Lion City or expand their field of study as well as use Singapore as a stop-over point to other destinations.
