Laos aims to welcome at least 2.7 million foreign tourists.

Along with efforts to best prepare for the Lao Tourism Year 2024, the government aims to welcome at least 2.7 million foreign tourists next year to stimulate economic growth after the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to information from the Vietnam News Agency in Vientiane, the Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism of Laos, Mr. Ounthuang Khaophan, stated that the Lao government considers tourism to play a key role in the country's socio-economic development strategy.

Therefore, Laos's choice of 2024 as the "Year of Tourism" symbolizes a strong commitment to restoring the tourism industry, which has been severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lao Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Suansavanh Viyaket stated that the tourism promotion program for the Lao Tourism Year 2024 aims to attract more foreign tourists to Laos, create jobs for people across the country, and increase foreign exchange earnings.

According to the Nhan Dan newspaper, to achieve this goal, the Lao government will organize and widely promote the country's famous festivals such as: the That Luang Festival in the capital Vientiane, the Lao New Year Bun Pi May, the End of Lent Festival in Luang Prabang province, the Elephant Festival in Xayaboury province, the Wat Phou Festival in Champasak province...

The Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism is also planning a series of other activities across the country to attract tourists, strengthening cooperation with travel companies and airlines to compile a list of suitable activities for tourists, and selecting a logo and theme to promote the Lao Tourism Year 2024.

According to Minister Suansavanh, to enhance tourist attraction, the Ministry will also release the 2024 Laos Tourism Calendar, as well as video clips and souvenirs; and launch an advertising campaign on media and websites starting in September 2023.

Alongside organizing festivals, the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism is also working to upgrade existing tourist destinations and develop new ones.

To ensure a memorable experience for domestic tourists, the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism also focuses on training and updating the knowledge of tour guides, aiming to improve their skills and meet the growing demands of the tourism industry.

In the first six months of this year, Laos attracted over 1.67 million foreign tourists, exceeding its target for the entire year of 2023. Notably, the majority of visitors came from countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with Thailand ranking first with nearly 670,000 and Vietnam second with nearly 340,000.

Minh Hoa (compiled)

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