VIENTIANE: More than 1.1 million foreign tourists visited Laos in the first three months of 2024, an increase of 36 per cent compared to the figures for the same period in 2023.
The largest number of visitors came from Thailand with 347,595, followed by 264,710 from Vietnam and 242,404 from China, Lao national TV reported on Wednesday (May 15).
The number of tourists increased as Laos has launched the Visit Laos Year 2024 campaign and more travellers are using the China-Laos Railway.
The railway is a very popular means of travel and passes through northern Laos’ Luang Prabang and Oudomxay provinces, which have many places of interest for tourists, including adventure activities.
Under the Visit Laos Year 2024 campaign, tourism authorities and operators have improved services at hotels, guesthouses and restaurants, and added more facilities at tourist sites, in order to provide a better and more interesting experience to visitors, according to the report.
Laos’ Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism has set an ambitious plan for 2024 to attract over 2.2 million domestic and about 4 million international visitors, with an expected revenue of about US$1.3 billion. – Xinhua
