VIENTIANE (Loatian Times): The Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism (MICT) has revealed key milestones and achievements of the tourism industry in Laos from the first six months of this year, along with plans to welcome over 4 million visitors for “Visit Laos Year 2024.”
The Lao government is currently preparing for Visit Laos Year 2024 and plans to attract 4.6 million visitors throughout the year, with a revenue target of US$712 million.
The government has also renovated infrastructure, produced various tourism advertising materials, QR codes containing information on tourism sites in Laos, and created a tourism handbook, along with other developments that align with the 2021-2023 tourism development plan.
In spite of travel-related challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Suansavanh Viyaketh, Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism in Laos revealed that over 3 million domestic tourists and 2.6 million international tourists have visited Laos from 2021-2023.
She also reported that revenue generated from domestic and international tourists exceeded US$631 million during this time, with the average length of stay being seven days.
Looking ahead, the national steering committee will meet next month to finalise the budget for Visit Laos Year 2024 depending on the events that have been proposed and confirmed. This will then be sent to the government for final approval.
In September and October, a promotional calendar will be produced alongside videos and souvenirs to advertise the Visit Laos Year 2024 campaign, and a press conference and the opening ceremony will be held between November and December to officially kickstart the promotions.
In 2023, the government has also hosted seminars on advertising and promoting domestic tourism to attract visitors, as well as participated in tourism exhibitions conducted by other Asean member countries to gain more insight into developing the tourism industry.
During Visit Laos Year 2018, the nation welcomed 4.1 million international tourists, which was followed by Visit Laos-China Year 2019, in which Laos welcomed 4.58 million visitors. - Laotian Times/ANN
