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The northernmost provinces of Laos are banking on culture and adventure travel to attract foreign tourists.

However, cooperation between Laos and its neighbouring countries will be critical in order for eco-tourism to become a major employer.

In Luang Namtha province, most of the sellers in the market are women. They carry their produce in baskets, making their way down from nearby farms to the market.

From the distinctive clothing of the hill tribe women to the produce that come from the countryside farms, Luang Namtha is beckoning to foreign tourists.

Travellers having leisurely breakfasts are among those lured by the charms.

Their green vacation will be spent visiting ethnic minority villages, mountain biking, rafting, and trekking.

Luang Namtha is slowly becoming a hub for eco-tourism.

An all-weather road linking land-locked Laos to southern China and northern Thailand makes access to the province easier.

Travellers can also fly to Luang Namtha from the capital Vientiane.

However, in an effort to accommodate the growing number of visitors, the airport had to expanded and some villagers had to be resettled.

Khamlay Sipaseuth, Director of Luang Namtha Provincial Tourism Department in Laos, said 109 families out of 240 were resettled to make way for the airport extension project.

Khammone Khampivong, who was affected by the resettlement project, said: she was happy in her new and larger surroundings, and even manages a farm which produces up to two tonnes of rice annually.

She is also an active participant in a community-based tourism project, earning up to 50,000 kip which is about US$6.00 - cooking for tour groups visiting the cultural village.

Ban Vieng Neua (Tai Kalom) village offers bacci ceremony, meals and dance performances.

Located near the town centre, it is built according to the traditional style of the Kalom people.

The house can be used by the local villagers for wedding ceremonies and other events. Visits can be booked by tourists through the Tourism Information Office in Luang Namtha Town or by any tour company in Laos.

Khammone Khamphivong added: "The tourists who come here generate income for them and they use that income for the restoration of their house and to supplement their other income."

Experiencing the traditional customs like this bacci ceremony is part of the whole experience when one immerses oneself in the local culture.

Here, the elders are offering prayers for a safe journey, which culminates in a feast of delicious food and dancing.

Khamlay Sipaseuth added that the tourism sector helped by building the cultural centre and training the local performers.

He said for a start, they train about 20 people, age about 14 up to 18. Later on, these trainees helped to train others.

"The Luang Namtha government or Luang Namtha Tourism Department continues to keep close with these villagers, especially the tourism department, by continuing to train them, do awareness building, train them on hospitality and also promote marketing to attract visitors to come to the village," he said.

But knowing full well that this will not be enough, Lao provincial authorities are pushing for regional cooperation to attract tourists from China and ASEAN countries as well.

Khamlay Sipaseuth said: "In the future, we would also attract regional tourists, especially from China or Thailand, or tourists from the ASEAN countries, and we continue keeping the long haul tourists or long haul tourism market.

The governors from the six provinces in Laos are expected to sign MOUs on tourism and trade cooperation in Jinghong, China, to further facilitate tourism and trade in the region.

CNA/de