A member of the National Assembly in Laos has called on the government to allocate more funds towards developing its tourism industry in order to generate greater revenue for the state. Khamtay Keoduangdy, a member of the National Assembly for Champasak province, said that the promotion of the service sector was key to raising national income and drew attention to the need to develop tourism services including culture, history and ecotourism. Keoduangdy argued that the budget allocation for tourism development had been relatively low compared to other sectors over the past few years. Last year over four million tourists visited Laos, with the country generating revenue of nearly $700m.