Laos receives 2.6 mln foreign tourists in January-August

VIENTIANE, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) — Laos received 2.6 million foreign visitors in the first eight months of 2024, up 19 percent from 2.2 million over the same period last year.
From January to August, Thailand, Vietnam and China were the top sources of foreign tourists to Laos, Lao Economic Daily reported on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Laos saw a total of 2.3 million domestic travel trips in the eight months, an 84.2 percent surge from the previous year.
Laos has generated approximately 801 million U.S. dollars in revenue from international tourists so far this year.
Laos’ Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism hopes that more than 6 million Lao and foreign tourists will visit Laos in 2024.
In a bid to bolster tourist numbers during Visit Laos Year 2024, the government has approved visa-free entry and extended the duration of stay for tourists from certain countries.
In addition, the Lao government organized a national tour guide training course to produce more qualified personnel to support tourism growth in Laos and address the shortage of skilled workers in this field. ■