Lao Airlines has decided to increase the number of its direct flights to Cambodia to bolster tourism, local media reported on Thursday.

The Airlines' Deputy Director Leuy Bounbandit was quoted by The Cambodia Press Review as saying that the airline will offer two additional flights per week starting in October from Phnom Penh via Pakse, Laos, to Vientiane, the capital of Laos. He added that the company plans to fly daily from Siem Reap via Pakse to Vientiane.

Laos Airline previously flew three times a week from Vientiane to Siem Reap during the dry season. The airline started flights to Cambodia in 2001.

Ho Vandy, president of the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents, said that the increased number of flights will enhance cooperation between his association and the company. He said that the two parties will strengthen efforts to disseminate information about tourism in both countries.

Leuy Bounbandit said that association members will be invited to visit Lao destinations, which he said will encourage Cambodians to visit neighboring countries and Laotian tourists to visit Cambodia.

Cambodia's tourism industry developed rapidly in recent years. In 1999, Cambodia welcomed 367,734 tourists, but the number rose to 1,421,000 in 2005. Tourist arrivals have increased by 286.41 percent.

Source: Xinhua