Phayao bids for bigger slice of tourism market

What will become the country’s longest relief on a stone cliff is expected to become a new attraction in Phayao for local and foreign tourists.
“Phayao of one of most attractive provinces in the North, as its cities can provide diversified tourism products including the cliff carving,” Thummaphul Srisakul, secretary of the Phayao Tourism Business Association, said last week.
The 2.5-3 kilometre-long cliff is part of a mountain where Phadhammanimitr Temple or Pha Kieng Temple is located within a short distance of Phayao city. About 200 metres of the cliff features carvings, mostly of Buddhist tales; financed via donations from the faithful.
Tourism authorities in the province plan to develop the new attraction over four years to boost arrivals both local and foreign.
The province has asked the Tourism Ministry for a budget of Bt150 million for carving, landscaping and facilities.
If the project is completed, it will be the longest stone carving on a cliff and will become a new magnet to draw a lot of sightseers to the province.
The province also hopes to propose the long relief to Guinness World Records.
Last year, only 200,000 tourists visited the province compared to more than 5 million in Chiang Mai and over one million in Chiang Rai.
The whole province provides only about 800 hotel rooms.
“We will offer tourists some more innovative products if we need to have more tourists,” he said.
The tourism body will ask hotel chains to build branches in the province to serve tourism.
The province also offers a variety of other products including famous Phayao Lake, the biggest collection of stone inscriptions with nearly 200 pillars, the ancient city of Phayao and unique Tai Lue communities.
Another new man-made property being promoted is one of the top five horse ranches in the country called Siam Mountain Pony, located in Chun district.