Lao young start business in Yunnan

Wen Pengyu is applying relevant license of his China-Laos joint venture international travel agency on March 8, 2023. [Xinhua/Photo]

The 31-year-old Lao student Wen Pengyu is pursuing a Ph.D. at Yunnan University. In March, he became the director of an international travel agency joint venture between China and Laos.

Wen bought a train ticket from Kunming to Laos through a mobile app. “Now we all buy tickets online. It is very convenient,” said Wen. “This time, I’m going back home to see my family, collect some research materials, and learn more about Laos tourism industry. ”

The China-Laos Railway has shortened the distance between the two countries and provided more opportunities for Lao people to work and run businesses in China. Influenced by his hometown fellows who yearned to work in China, Wen came up with the idea of going into cross-border tourism. Hence, together with another Lao student Wang Wei and Chinese shareholders, they established an international travel agency in Kunming.

"Everything went smoothly," Wen said with a smile. "It only took one week to apply for the necessary licenses thanks to the excellent services provided by Kunming's relevant departments." In addition to Xishuangbanna, which Lao people are familiar with, Wen also intends to expand the travel routes to Kunming, Dali, and Lijiang. "We have confidence in the Chinese tourism market."

Wen’s travel agency epitomized the deepening Lancang-Mekong Cooperation(LMC). Data showed that China’s trade with the five LMC countries reached 415.7 billion dollars in 2022, an increase of 5% year-on-year.

Source: Xinhua; trans-editing by Guo Yao