The government has approved the idea of promoting 2023-2024 as Lao Tourism Year, at the latest cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
In the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Sonexay Siphandone, the government emphasized on the importance of preparing for the Lao Tourism Year campaign, to strengthen the country’s tourism industry and boost economic growth.
The government noted that the Lao Tourism Year 2023-2024 will focus on attracting more tourists and creating sustainable jobs in the tourism sector. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will research successful tourism campaigns in other countries and hold seminars with entrepreneurs to learn from their experiences as well.
The government is confident that the Lao Tourism Year 2023-2024 will be a success as the country has a lot to offer visitors, including beautiful scenery, friendly people, and a rich culture.
The government has previously organized promotional programs to attract tourists, such as two Visit Laos Years, Visit Laos-China Year, and Lao Thiao Laos, which saw a large number of visitors, especially from China.
Tourism officials expect that 368,000 Chinese nationals will visit Laos this year, a 21 percent rise from 2022.
The Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism hopes to attract at least 1.4 million foreign tourists this year, despite a slump in visitor numbers last year compared to pre-Covid figures.
The meeting also discussed other important topics, such as economic and social development, national defense and security, foreign relations, and financial policy.
Additionally, the government directed central and local sectors to manage tasks strictly and decisively, including monitoring and evaluating various projects, forest fire management, and creating sustainable careers for those affected by development projects.
