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Yen wore traditional Lao clothing and posed for photos at Wat Xieng Thong temple in Luang Prabang, Laos. |
Amidst the nearly 40-degree Celsius heat of April, travel blogger Yen Nguyen (26 years old, also known as Yen Vi Vu) decided to travel to Laos during the Bunpimay Water Festival – the biggest festival of the year for the people of the Land of a Million Elephants. Her 7-day, 6-night trip took her through Vientiane, Luang Prabang, and Vang Vieng.
"Laos gives me a feeling of calmness, peace, and nostalgia that is hard to find elsewhere," Yen told Tri Thuc - Znews .
Yen was one of 1.36 million international visitors to Laos in the first quarter. In the first three months of the year, the number of foreign visitors to Laos increased by 8% compared to the same period last year. Thailand continued to be the largest source market, accounting for nearly 31% of the total international visitors to Laos. China and Vietnam ranked second and third, respectively.
In 2025 alone, Vietnam is expected to receive approximately 1.3 million tourists from Laos, continuing to be one of the country's largest source markets.
NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE TOURISTS TO LAOS 2019-2025 |
Source: Lao Ministry of Culture and Tourism |
Label | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 (Covid-19) | 2022 (Covid-19) | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
Number of visitors | Million views | 0.924 | 0.186 | 0 | 0 | 0.838 | 1,054 | 0.96 |
A destination that is "just right".
Earlier this year, global travel publication TravelPulse named Laos one of the world's top travel destinations. According to experts, the country's appeal stems from its pristine nature, the Mekong River, its mountainous landscapes, and its tranquil atmosphere.
"Here, tourists are not under pressure from overcrowding and can fully enjoy the experience," the report stated.
This was true for Yen's experience. In Luang Prabang, she spent a lot of time wandering through the old town, visiting the morning and night markets, going to Kuang Si waterfall, or renting traditional Lao clothing to take photos at Wat Xieng Thong temple. In Vang Vieng, she woke up at 5:30 am to climb Nam Xay peak to watch the sunrise and hot air balloons.
"Tourists just step out onto the street and there's something to see," Yen said, describing the atmosphere of the Bunpimay water festival. For her, being splashed with water is an indispensable part of the festival and also what makes tourism in Laos so interesting. According to local beliefs, the more water you get splashed with, the luckier you are, because people splash water on each other out of affection.
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Yen visited Laos during the Water Festival, climbed Nam Xay peak, checked in at That Luang stupa, and wore traditional Lao clothing at Wat Xieng Thong temple. |
Yen isn't alone; many Vietnamese tourists have recently shared similar feelings after their trips to Laos. They were impressed by the slow pace of life, the lack of pressure, the pristine nature, and the uncrowded tourist attractions. This is considered a major advantage for Laos, especially given that many popular destinations in Southeast Asia are facing the pressure of tourist overcrowding.
Khoa Tang, a 25-year-old tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, believes that Laos seems "underrated" compared to many other destinations in Asia. While not overly glamorous, the country boasts ancient temples, beautiful nature, and a slow pace of life. He had heard many people mention Laos for a long time but hesitated due to the sometimes high airfare, until he decided to explore it during the recent Lunar New Year holiday.
"Laos isn't a particularly bustling place, but it's the slow pace of life, the ancient temples, and the simple natural scenery that make me feel at ease, and I've promised myself I'll definitely come back," he said.
MARKET STRUCTURE OF SENDING TOURISTS TO LAOS IN Q1/2026 |
Source: Lao Ministry of Culture and Tourism |
Label | ASEAN | Asia-Pacific | Europe | America | Africa and the Middle East |
| % | 51.9 | July 31st | 11.7 | 4.1 | 0.7 |
Meanwhile, Nguyen Minh Duc, 26, from Ha Long (Quang Ninh province), chose Laos because it is a safe destination, easy to travel independently, and not too expensive. More importantly, according to him, the country has a peaceful and simple lifestyle, diverse landscapes, and many similarities with Vietnam.
"Another motivation that spurred me on the trip was the desire to personally see the famous scenery, from the summit of Nam Xay embracing the mountain landscape to the moment hot air balloons soared in the sunrise. In reality, everything was as beautiful as rumored," Duc said.
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Patuxai Arch, That Luang stupa, and Xieng Khuan Buddha Park. |
Potential
According to TravelPulse experts , Laos' appeal stems from several factors simultaneously: improved infrastructure, high-speed rail lines that shorten domestic travel times, the trend of seeking less crowded destinations after the pandemic, and the explosion of social media.
Videos of Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, and the Bunpimay water festival are constantly appearing on TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, attracting a large number of young, independent travelers from Vietnam.
"Traveling to Laos isn't difficult, it's neither cheap nor expensive, the cost is about the same as in Vietnam," Yen said, adding that the total cost for the trip was around 14.25 million VND, including transportation, hotels, food, and entertainment.
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Yen visited Kuang Si Waterfall, Xieng Khuan Buddha Park, and the Royal Palace. |
The most expensive item was the Luang Prabang-Hanoi flight, costing 3.7 million VND per person. According to the female traveler, traveling by land would be significantly cheaper but would take more time and be more tiring. In fact, Laos currently has fewer international flights compared to Thailand or Singapore, which often results in high airfare prices, especially during peak seasons.
Nevertheless, for many Vietnamese tourists, that price is still worth it for a unique experience. During her trip, Yen remembers most vividly the unexpected encounter with Vietnamese expats selling porridge and rice rolls at the "Morning Market" in Vientiane.
"While I was still looking around for something to eat, she came over and asked me in Vietnamese. I was both surprised and delighted," she recounted.
Besides its tourism appeal, experts believe that bilateral cooperation between Vietnam and Laos also contributes to boosting the flow of tourists between the two countries.
Recently, Vietnam and Laos signed a Cultural and Tourism Cooperation Program for the period 2026-2030. Both sides identified tourism as one of the key areas of cooperation in the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Laos.
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The peaceful scenery in Laos is one of the factors that attracts Vietnamese tourists. |
The cooperation program expands new initiatives on destination linkages, developing high-quality, diverse products that suit the tastes of tourists visiting both countries. Both countries are committed to continuing to organize bilateral tourism promotion activities, encouraging and facilitating each other's participation in major tourism events, festivals, and fairs.
According to Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Lam Thi Phuong Thanh, the number of Vietnamese tourists visiting Laos always accounts for a high proportion of the country's total international visitors, while Lao tourists visiting Vietnam have also recovered strongly after Covid-19.
"Vietnam always reserves beautiful beaches for Lao tourists. Along with convenient air connections and the launch of many direct flights, tourism cooperation has continuously reached important milestones," the Minister said, congratulating the success of Laos' National Tourism Year 2025, which helped the country attract approximately 4.5 million international visitors.
Source: https://znews.vn/tai-sao-khach-viet-do-xo-di-lao-post1653136.html
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