The number of Vietnamese visiting Laos increased by 25% to 589,000 in the first half of 2025, making Vietnam the second largest source market in Southeast Asia after Thailand.
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A The Royal Place in Luang, Laos. Achasy courtesy of the Agoda |
According to tourism authorities, Laos received more than 2.35 million international visitors between January and June, 250,000 more than in the same period last year.
It targets 4.5 million tourists for the year.
According to the Facebook group Tourism Professionals in Laos, Thailand led with over 733,000 visitors.
In the wider Asia-Pacific region, China was the largest source market with more than 602,000 visitors.
Vietnamese travel executives cite strong ties and friendly locals as reasons for Laos being popular, but limited flights keep airfares high, at up to VND10 million (US$381) during the peak season and VND7 million ($266) in August.
The Lao government hopes to attract 4.3 million foreign visitors in 2025, generating over $1 billion in tourism revenues, and at least 4.1 million domestic trips.
To facilitate this, it plans to upgrade roads, restaurants, hotels, and local markets, improving accessibility for travellers.
Laos drew more than 4.1 million international visitors in 2024, nearly one million more than in 2023, boosted by the “Visit Laos Year” campaign and visa waivers for people from over 30 countries, including China, the U.S. and several in Europe.
