(KPL)Laos is seeing strong results from the “Visit Laos Year 2024” campaign, with millions of tourists and rising international interest.

At the 9th Ordinary Session of the National Assembly, Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism Suansavanh Vignaket reported major progress and momentum for the campaign on 13 June.

The campaign officially launched on November 23, 2023, during the That Luang Festival in Vientiane. Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone led the ceremony, under the theme “Safe Travel in Laos – Embracing Culture, Nature, and History.”

Since then, 79 tourism events have taken place—14 national-level events were completed fully, and 65 provincial events had a 98.5% success rate. A few provinces faced small delays, but overall performance was high.

The government also promoted Laos abroad through international expos, “Lao Day” in Japan, and business forums in countries like Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia. Digital campaigns and a visa-free policy for target countries helped boost global interest.

In 2024, Laos welcomed 3.9 million domestic tourists, a 102% increase from the year before, generating USD 632.5 million. International visitors reached 4.1 million, up 21%, bringing in USD 1.13 billion.

In the first three months of 2025, international arrivals hit 1.26 million (+11%), while domestic trips reached 1.47 million (+98.6%), earning a combined USD 664.7 million.

The top source countries in 2025 so far include Thailand, China, Vietnam, Republic of Korea, the United States, France, Russia, the UK, Germany, and Japan.

These results show that Laos is becoming a more attractive, safe, and culturally rich destination. The success reflects strong leadership, public-private cooperation, and the tourism sector’s resilience.

KPL