Laos is gaining popularity among tourists

Laos is becoming an increasingly popular destination among both Asian and European tourists. At the end of 2019, their number increased by 9% compared to the previous year and reached almost 4.6 million people.

According to the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Laos, the industry was driven by Chinese visitors: last year they arrivals increased by 27%, the total number exceeded 1 million people.

Visitors from Thailand - the main source of tourists to Laos - increased by 6%, from Vietnam - 11%.

Tourist arrivals from many high-end countries also increased, with the number coming from the United States rising by 22 percent, while visitors from Britain also increased by 22 percent.

The number of French visitors rose by 11 percent, while German tourists increased by 13 percent, said the report.

For comparison: the number of visitors from South Korea decreased by one percent, the number of visitors from Denmark decreased by 27 percent, the number of visitors from Switzerland decreased by 18 percent, and the number of tourists from Finland fell sharply by 28 percent.

According to the department,  Laos hosts 670 hotels, 2,432 guest houses and a sanatorium, 2,646 restaurants and 305 entertainment venues. There are many officially designated tourist attractions, including 1318 natural monuments, 596 places of cultural interest and 294 places of historical significance.