Laos is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the first group of Chinese travelers on a cross-border passenger train, which is set to launch on the China-Laos Railway on Thursday, April 14th. The launch of the service is seen as a milestone event for Laos, boosting the country’s tourism industry and economic recovery. Tourism is a key sector for the Lao economy, and it is estimated that around 368,000 Chinese travelers will visit Laos this year, up 21% from 2022. Since the railway’s opening in December 2021, there has been an increasing demand for its services. The cross-border passenger service between the Lao capital Vientiane and Kunming, the capital city of southwest China’s Yunnan province, is set to transport more than 200 Chinese tourists to Laos.