Vientiane Capital Anticipates Surge in Tourists for Lao New Year

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Lao New Year celebration in Vientiane Capital in 2019. (Photo : Hope Vision Photography).

Vientiane Capital is gearing up for an increase in tourist numbers this year as it prepares to host various activities during the three-day Lao New Year festival.

From April 14 to 16, religious and tourism-related events will take place throughout the capital, with the aim of attracting both international and domestic visitors and reducing the number of urban tourists traveling to provincial and international destinations.

The religious events will include a parade of Buddha idols, washing of Buddha idols, and the building of sand stupas in temples across Vientiane Capital. Meanwhile, the water play will be held near Num Phou fountain on Rue Setthathirath.

On Friday, 14 April, activities in the city center at Inpeng Wat will be organized around 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm with a parade featuring 66 monks, provincial authorities, athletes from the Xieng Khoung Games, and nearly 500 participants.

According to Ms. Vilayvone Chanthalaty, Director of the Vientiane Information, Culture, and Tourism Department, the festival is expected to draw about 25 percent of estimated tourists to Vientiane in 2023 around this time over a span of three days.

In 2022, over 600,000 international tourists visited the capital of Laos, double the expected number of 300,000 visitors.