Laos expects to serve 1.4 million tourists this year hinh anh 1Laos plans to promote community-based tourism to attract foreign visitors while further stepping up the campaign “Lao Thiao Lao” (Laotians visit Laos) to serve 1.2 million domestic tourists in 2023. (Photo: VNA)

Vientiane (VNA) – Laos expects to serve 1.4 million domestic and foreign tourists this year with revenue from the tourism sector expected to reach more than 340 million USD, according to the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism.

The ministry plans to promote community-based tourism to attract foreign visitors while further stepping up the campaign “Lao Thiao Lao” (Laotians visit Laos) to serve 1.2 million domestic tourists in 2023.

The ministry launched the campaign in 2020 to call on Lao people to use domestic tourism services.

Speaking at a meeting on January 23-24, Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism Suanesavanh Vignaket said that the ministry will cooperate with central and local agencies to outline tourism development plans and improve local infrastructure at tourism sites to make them meet ASEAN standards.

Laos has begun preparing for the arrival of Chinese tourists after it was listed among 20 countries greenlit by the Chinese government for outbound group tours.

Lao Airlines plans to operate more flights to welcome Chinese tourists. The airline currently operates three flights a week from the Lao capital city of Vientiane to Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan province.

Laos recorded over 1.6 million domestic and foreign tourists last year./.

VNA