Laos records nearly 645,000 foreign arrivals in nine months

Vientiane (VNA) - Laos welcomed nearly 645,000
foreign tourists in the first nine months of 2012, meeting 71,64% of the yearly target, local media reported on
December 8.
This figure shows the strong revival of tourism industry and a
good sign for the Lao economy in the coming time.
Statistics
from the Department of Tourism
Marketing under the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Laos show that
visitors mainly came from Thailand, China and the Republic of Korea (RoK).
The number of European visitors reached over 14,000, while those
from the US topped 9,000.
Meanwhile, the number of Lao citizens going on domestic tours
also increased, reaching over 1 million, equivalent to over 97% of the set plan.
The tourism sector of Laos reported total revenues of over 225 million USD in the period, equal to 74.71% of the plan set for the year.
Recently, National Geographic, one of the most prestigious magazines
in the world, named Laos as one of the 25 most spectacular destinations to
visit in 2023.
Lao tourism officials believe this recommendation will help
further boost the country's tourism growth next year./.