LuangPrabang and Vangvieng district, Vientiane province and are the two main hotspots favoured by local and foreign holiday-makers looking for somewhere special to celebrate the New Year.
Meanwhile, Malaysia, Singapore and the Republic of Korea are the top overseas destinations where Lao people like to bring in the New Year, according to some local travel agents.
Vientiane Times asked several of the nation’s leading travel companies to gauge demand in the lead up to 2017.
A Northern Travel Laos official said local and foreign visitors both liked to tour the northern provinces over New Year, with the top destinations including LuangPrabang, Vangvieng, XiengKhuang province, and Vientiane.
Most foreign visitors that we deal with and arrange tours for in Laos are European. We also have customers from the USA, Australia and Switzerland, and some Asian visitors from Malaysia, the official said.
Normally, foreign visitors book their tour tickets in groups a few months in advance. Typically a group would stay up to three days in a destination or for one week in LuangPrabang, the official added.
NiyomChanmaly Travel Company told Vientiane Times that from the beginning of December the number of visitors from Thailand was up on previous years.
Vangvieng, LuangPrabang and Vientiane are especially favoured by Thai tourists as the top places for a holiday, according to the travel company.
Favoured activities by tour groups include homestays, visiting caves, and kayaking along the Xong River, with three day stays popular in Vangvieng and four days the norm in LuangPrabang.
According to Next Travel, Lao outbound travellers are increasingly looking to book an overseas destination to see in the New Year with Malaysia, Singapore and Korea the top destinations. Small tour groups of up to 10 people on a 5-6 day trip are the most popular.
Vientiane’s Northern Bus Station noted that passenger bookings so far seem not to have increased greatly compared to the previous New Year periods.
However, many bus companies have readied extra vehicles just in case there is a last minute rush.
Vangvieng is a popular destination for foreigners and local bus travellers on weekend breaks because of its many attractions and relative proximity to the capital.
Source: Vientiane Times
