Tourism arrivals in Laos surge 14%
Laos is one of the Southeast Asian countries strongly benefiting from the booming tourism industry in the region. Tourism officials in the landlocked country have expressed strong confidence that visitor numbers will top 3.1 million people this year, up by 14 per cent compared to 2011, the Vientiane Times wrote in a cover story on December 31.
Laos has enjoyed robust growth in terms of tourism in recent years. If the country receives more than 3.1 million visitors in 2012 as believed, it will mean Laos is on track to achieve its annual targets set between now and 2015 by the tourism authorities.
The Director General of the Tourism Development Department, Soun Manivong, said that the forecasts would even need to be revised. He attributed the high figure to government policies that ease travel such as visa exemptions and airline links, coupled with the promotion campaign for Visit Laos Year 2012.
Lao Airlines has recently stepped up its international flight routes to neighbouring countries, and Bangkok Airway is now connecting the Lao capital Vientiane with the airline hub of Bangkok on a daily basis.
Koreans, Chinese an Cambodians top the list
Tourist arrivals in Laos from South Korea increased from about 35,000 in 2011 to more than 50,000 in 2012, up by 46 per cent. Tourists from neighbouring Cambodia represented the biggest growth rate of 107 per cent, increasing from about 7,500 in 2011 to more than 15,500 in 2012.
Laos has also seen a rapid increase in Chinese tourists, up from about 150,000 in 2011 to 190,000 in 2012, a growth of 26 per cent.
In addition, visitors from the Asia-Pacific region increased from more than 2.4 million in 2011 to more than 2.8 million in 2012, up by 17 per cent, while more than 43,000 Japanese tourists visited Laos in 2012, up from 37,000 in 2011.
However, Laos has seen a drop in the number of visitors from Europe and the US by nine and eight percent respectively, due to the sluggish economy in these regions holding people back from holiday travel.
[caption id="attachment_6148" align="alignleft" width="200"] The Patuxai Arch or Arc de Triomphe in the center of Vientiane, Laos.[/caption] Laos is one of the Southeast Asian countries strongly benefiting from the booming tourism industry in the region. Tourism officials in the landlocked country have expressed strong confidence that visitor numbers will top 3.1 million people this year, up by 14 per cent compared to 2011, the Vientiane Times wrote in a cover story on December 31. Laos has enjoyed robust growth in terms of tourism in recent years. If the country receives more than 3.1 million visitors in 2012 as believed, it...
Laos is one of the Southeast Asian countries strongly benefiting from the booming tourism industry in the region. Tourism officials in the landlocked country have expressed strong confidence that visitor numbers will top 3.1 million people this year, up by 14 per cent compared to 2011, the Vientiane Times wrote in a cover story on December 31.
Laos has enjoyed robust growth in terms of tourism in recent years. If the country receives more than 3.1 million visitors in 2012 as believed, it will mean Laos is on track to achieve its annual targets set between now and 2015 by the tourism authorities.
The Director General of the Tourism Development Department, Soun Manivong, said that the forecasts would even need to be revised. He attributed the high figure to government policies that ease travel such as visa exemptions and airline links, coupled with the promotion campaign for Visit Laos Year 2012.
Lao Airlines has recently stepped up its international flight routes to neighbouring countries, and Bangkok Airway is now connecting the Lao capital Vientiane with the airline hub of Bangkok on a daily basis.
Koreans, Chinese an Cambodians top the list
Tourist arrivals in Laos from South Korea increased from about 35,000 in 2011 to more than 50,000 in 2012, up by 46 per cent. Tourists from neighbouring Cambodia represented the biggest growth rate of 107 per cent, increasing from about 7,500 in 2011 to more than 15,500 in 2012.
Laos has also seen a rapid increase in Chinese tourists, up from about 150,000 in 2011 to 190,000 in 2012, a growth of 26 per cent.
In addition, visitors from the Asia-Pacific region increased from more than 2.4 million in 2011 to more than 2.8 million in 2012, up by 17 per cent, while more than 43,000 Japanese tourists visited Laos in 2012, up from 37,000 in 2011.
However, Laos has seen a drop in the number of visitors from Europe and the US by nine and eight percent respectively, due to the sluggish economy in these regions holding people back from holiday travel.
