Manythone Keolangsy

(KPL) More than 2,100 tourist sites in Laos attracted a large number of both domestic and foreign tourists last year, according to a 2015-2016 report made by the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

The report was unveiled at the third Ordinary Session of the National Assembly's (NA) Eighth Legislature by Minister of Planning and Investment, Mr. Souphan Keomixay on 25 May.

Currently, almost 1,200 ecotourism sites, over 600 cultural sites and almost 300 historical sites and two world heritage towns are deemed to be the main destinations of tourists visiting the country.

Last year, the country completed surveying, allocating and defining the boundaries of 12 tourist attraction sites. Three of them have been prioritised, including Tad Champee, a waterfall in Paksong District, Champasack Province, Pou Kham Cave in Vang Vieng district, Vientiane Province and Namueang hot spring in Houa Mueang district, Huaphan province.

The tourism policy promotes involvement for sustainable tourism development, a complex and modern tourism pattern aiming to attract more tourists who had high income from different regions to visit Laos. 

There are 22 out of 27 international crossing border checkpoints and four international airports that offer visas on arrival for tourists.

The Lao government has also signed agreements on bilateral visa waivers with 45 countries and unilateral visa waivers with the Republic of Korea, Japan, Luxemburg and Switzerland.

In addition, the government has also developed multiple infrastructures, including airports and road construction linking provinces and neighboring countries that will provide easy means for tourists to enter and exit the country.

Last year, more than 4.2 million tourists were reported to have visited Laos, decreasing by 10 percent when compared with 2015, but creating an income of over USD 700 million.

The cause of the tourists decline was due to the impact of neighboring countries’ policies, high costs of living in the country and more expensive services than in neighboring countries.

Last week, the Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Bosengkham Vongdara proposed the government’s plan to attract more than 6 million tourists by 2020 at the NA meeting.

KPL