Many more tourists visit Laos through Laos-China railway. - VT
VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/Asia News Network): The number of Chinese tourists coming to Laos has increased significantly since the launch of cross-border passenger services on the Laos-China Railway on April 13, according to hospitality business operators.
President of Laos’ Hotel and Restaurant Association, Pakasith Chathapaya, told Vientiane Times recently “Chinese nationals staying at my hotel now account for 40 per cent of my clients thanks to cross-border passenger services.”
“Most of my Chinese clients stay here independently, not as part of a tour group. I’m optimistic that the tourism industry will boom as Laos prepares to launch Visit Laos Year and host the Asean Summit next year,” Pakasith said.
According to figures from the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, more than 1.11 million foreign tourists visited Laos in the first four months of this year.
The largest number came from Thailand with 430,979 arrivals recorded, followed by Vietnam with 224,461 and China with 223,350.
The number of Chinese visitors surged from 16,283 in January to 53,837 in February, rising to 73,192 in March and 80,038 in April.
According to Xinhua, the Laos-China Railway has handled 25,000 cross-border passenger trips since the new service was introduced on April 13.
Mongkhon Vongsam-ang, who works for a tour operator in the world heritage town of Luang Prabang, said that since China reopened its doors to international tourism in January, many more Chinese had come to Laos.
“I estimate that the number of Chinese visitors could exceed the figure recorded in the year before the Covid pandemic,” he said.
Mongkhon said more than one million Chinese nationals visited Laos in 2019, which was Visit Laos-China Year.
The Laos-China Railway has greatly improved connectivity and accessibility, inspiring thousands of people in China to take holidays in Laos.
The railway, which was inaugurated on December 3, 2021, runs between Vientiane and Kunming in southwest China’s Yunnan province over a distance of 1,035 kilometres.
Mongkhon said Chinese businesses are investing in the hospitality sector by setting up tour operators and partnering with local tourism companies to accommodate the rising number of Chinese tourists.
The public and private sectors in Laos are providing Chinese language training for tour guides and improving services and facilities so that more tourists, including from China, are keen to come to Laos and are satisfied with hospitality standards.
Lao entrepreneurs say Chinese tourists particularly enjoy Laos’ natural environment and adventure activities, such as zip-lining, which they can experience in Vangvieng district, Vientiane province.
The Chinese are also interested in Laos’ cultural attractions and the world heritage site in Luang Prabang is one of their favourite destinations.
Laos has been ranked by several media organisations including CNN, National Geographic and The Telegraph as one of the world’s top travel destinations for 2023, further putting Laos in the spotlight as a special place to visit.
