China-Laos rail hyperlink on monitor to spice up commerce, tourism

A Laotian New Year Parade will be held in April 2019 in Luang Prabang, Laos. [Photo/Xinhua]

Both countries should benefit from a billion dollar project

Modern railways benefit a country’s economy in many ways. To name a few, they make it easier to transport bulky goods over long distances, shorten travel times between villages and cities, and offer travelers different levels of comfort.

A new railway line is planned for 33-year-old Benny Kong, hotel owner and co-founder of a tour operator in Laos, to bring more domestic and international tourists into the country.

Kong, a Singaporean living in Laos, founded the MyLaoHome boutique hotel 14 years ago after a backpacking trip to Laos that discovered that Luang Prabang, a former Lao capital and a world heritage site recognized by the United Nations for Education, science and culture.

“I visited the country when I was 18. I saw a lot of tourists who slept in temples and on the street. I just saw the opportunity and then started,” he said.