Vientiane Capital welcomed a total of 674,196 visitors in the first six months of this year, including international and domestic tourists.
This surge in number has resulted in an increase of tourists by 26.31 percent and a 44.02 percent rise in revenue compared to the same period last year, as reported by a state media.
Viengphone Keokhounsee, the head of the Department of the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism in Vientiane Capital, emphasized during a meeting on 9 July that the authorities has been making efforts to boost tourism since the launch of “Visit Laos Year 2024” at the That Luang festival last year.
These efforts consist of improving infrastructures, enhancing tourist service, promoting tourism, and close collaboration with various sectors, including the government and businesses. Viengphone expressed optimism that ongoing developments in the tourism sector will attract an even larger number of tourists in the next half of the year.
As Visit Laos Year 2024 is on the run, the country has seen a substantial rise in tourism numbers across provinces. In the northern Laos, Oudomxay Province saw an increase in tourists to over 113,000 visitors in the first half of 2024 which is higher than the previous year and only attracted 107,000 visitors in the first nine months.
Additionally, in the first three months of this year, Laos welcomed over 1.1 million international tourist arrivals, with top arrivals from Thailand, Vietnam, and China. Laos is targeting to welcome over 4,6 million international visitors and generate estimated revenue of USD 1.3 billion.