Number of Asian visitors to Laos increase !!!

Asian visitor arrivals to Laos surge

The steady increase in the number of visitor arrivals to Laos has continued, with a 29 percent rise during the first seven months of this year.

Visitor arrivals from January to July reached 887,842, up 29 percent from the same period last year, according to statistics from the Lao National Tourism Administration.

The figures indicate that Asean and regional visitors alone reached 765,255, up 35 percent compared to the same period last year, while there were 82,183 visitors from Europe , a 4 percent increase...more info

This period saw an increasing number of visitors not only from Southeast Asian countries but also non-Asean regional countries, especially Brunei , the Philippines , Singapore , India , Japan , and China .

People from European countries such as Greece , Germany , the Netherlands and Finland are also arriving in increasing numbers.

The only tourist group that did not increase in this time was visitors from central and South America , with only 36,250 during the period, according to statistics.

Thai visitors to Laos lead the way, with 519,288 (a 35 percent increase), followed by Vietnam with 155,754 (49 percent more than last year), and the US with 27,324 (a 1 percent increase).

“The increase in the number of tourists is due to our government's open-door policy to tourism, and the general stability of the country,” said the director of the administration's Department of Planning and Cooperation, Mr Sounh Manivong, yesterday.

“It's also the result of Lao tourism promotion efforts throughout the region and the world, from both state and private sectors.”

Mr Sounh said that Laos has become a well-known destination for visitors to Asia , and it is now easier to travel to and within the country, with upgraded transportation systems and more flights coming into the country from foreign airlines.

There have also been improvements in general facilities and services as well as tourism infrastructure, along with more visa exemption agreements with countries in the region that have allowed visitors to gain easier access to Laos , he said.

Most tourists arrive in Laos via the new Lao-Thai Mekong Friendship Bridge in Savannakhet province, and the border checkpoints from Thailand in Champassak and Luang Prabang provinces and Vientiane , Mr Sounh said.

By M.Vongsam-ang
Vientianetimes

Posted by samakomlao on 11:27 PM. Filed under China Chinese, Indonesia, Japan, Lao National Tourism Administration, Lao Vietnamese, Laos, Laos Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Feel free to leave a response