Laos has seen a dramatic increase in the number of South Korean tourists over the past few years after the reality TV show, “Youth Over Flowers,” featured  Korean actors visiting famous locations in Laos, particularly in Vang Vieng.

The number of visitors from South Korea to Laos grew in 2015 and 2016, finally beginning to plateau in 2017. The overall market share of South Korea rose to 4.4 percent in 2017, however, according to a report by Laos’s Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism. The number jumped from 96,085 in 2014 to 170,571 in 2017.

South Korea’s tourism industry took advantage of this trend, launching a series of package tour programs targeting those who wanted to follow the same itinerary presented in the show.

As of this writing, it is still not difficult to find “TV show-themed” tourism programs in South Korea, luring customers with the same old itinerary they developed several years ago.

While Laos still attracts Korean tourists, especially in Vang Vieng, many of these do not make a second trip to Laos.

And this issue is notable among visitors from other countries as well.

According to the latest survey conducted by the tourism ministry, only 7.9 percent of respondents said it was their returning visit to Laos. In contrast, first-time visitors accounted for 75.2 percent.

The Lao government has invited 12 representatives from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, China, Japan and South Korea to Bolikhamxay and Khammouane provinces, in a bid to promote other parts of the country.

The familiarization trip to the two provinces is taking place between July 12 and 17 and is designed to publicize some of Laos’ tourist attractions and encourage the tour operators to include some of these locations in their package tours, according to the Vientiane Times on July 15.

The two provinces are considered lesser-known destinations for foreign tourists, compared with the Lao capital Vientiane or famous locations such as Vang Vieng.

Kettasone Sundar, Director of the Marketing Division of the ministry’s Tourism Marketing Promotion Department, told the media that the program would raise the profile of the country’s tourist attractions and the exciting destinations it can offer.

If the Lao government’s goal is realized, more foreign tourists will visit the beautiful natural scenery of Bolikhamxay or Khammouane Province.

Laos attracted more than 4.1 million foreign tourists last year, an 8.2 percent increase from the previous year. Tourism generated revenue of more than USD 755 million in 2018.

Meanwhile, it is expected that at least 4.5 million people will visit Laos this year, generating revenue of more than USD 700 million.

Photo: Champa Meuanglao

Lao has launched its long-awaited electronic tourist visa (eVisa) service, which will allow foreigners to apply for a visa online prior to arriving in the country.

The official website for the eVisa application process is https://laoevisa.gov.la

At this stage, the eVisa service will be available at two international ports, namely Wattay International Airport and Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge 1, using the official website mentioned above.

Currently, only tourist visas valid for 30 days are available on the website, and it will take up to three days to obtain it.

Applicants need to follow three steps to obtain the visa online:

Step 1: Provide the application details and upload the necessary documents.
Step 2: Review application and pay the fee online.
Step 3: Download the eVisa Approval Letter

When eVisa application is approved, the letter will be sent to the applicant’s email address that was informed at the time of registration.

According to the eVisa website, payments can be made with VISA, MasterCard, JCB and UnionPay.

Laos first announced its plan to introduce the eVisa system earlier this year with a hope to attract more tourists to the country.

The country set up a goal to have 4.5 million tourists this year. About 4.1 million people visited Laos last year, an 8.2% increase from the previous year.

The Plain of Jars in Xiangkhouang Province, Laos, has been added to the list of World Heritage Sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The announcement was made at the 43rd Session of the World Heritage Committee held in Baku, Azerbaijan, on July 5.

The Plain of Jars, located on a plateau in northern Laos, is named for the more than 2,100 tubular-shaped megalithic stone jars that are believed to have been used for funerary practices in the Iron Age, according to UNESCO.

Human remains, burial goods, and ceramics discovered at the site dated by comparative material from Dong Son in Viet Nam, to the Early Iron Age from approximately 500 BCE to 800 CE.  The site has been shrouded in mystery for some time.

Laos has been working for 20 years to have the Plain of Jars listed as a World Heritage Site.

In 1998, the Lao government joined hands with UNESCO to initiate a multi-year phased program to safeguard and develop the site.

The program was designed to put mechanisms in place that ensure ongoing protection of the heritage resources linked to bringing socio-economic benefits for the local communities.

At that time, the Lao government expressed commitment to protect and develop the Plain of Jars and nominate the site for World Heritage inscription.

The inscription of the Plain of Jars means that the Plain of Jars is Laos’ third World Heritage Site. The old town of Luang Prabang in Luang Prabang province was inscribed in 1995, followed by Vat Phou and associated Ancient Settlements within the Champasak Cultural Landscape in 2001.

Apart from the Plain of Jars, UNESCO inscribed another six cultural sites in other countries on the World Heritage List.

They were the Dilmun Burial Mounds in Bahrain, Budj Bim Cultural Landscape in Australia, Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City in China, Jaipur City in Rajasthan, India, Ombilin Coal Mining Heritage of Sawahlunto in Indonesia, and the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group: Mounded Tombs of Ancient Japan in Japan.