Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Vientiane (VNA) – The number of Lao tourist arrivals to Vietnam soared in the first half of the year, with a growth rate of 117%, whichis the third-highest rate among nations having visitors to Vietnam,following Cambodia (338%) and India (236%).
The most popular destinations for foreign tourists inVietnam until June 2023 were the central beach city of Da Nang; the ancient city of Hoi An; Da Lat, known as the city of a thousand flowers in the CentralHighlands; the coastal cities of Nha Trang and Vung Tau; and the “Paradise Pearl Island” of Phu Quoc, the Lao media reported.
The surge in international tourist arrivals was a signof Vietnam’s post-pandemic recovery. Many Laotians, as well as Cambodians, alsovisited Vietnam for medical purposes.
On the other hand, Laos welcomed more than 1 million foreign tourists in the first four months of 2023,which was an impressive increase comparedto 1.3 million tourists in the whole 2022. Vietnamesevisitors made up the second-largest group of foreign tourists with 224,461 holidaymakers, just after Thailand.
In LuangPrabang alone, the province recorded nearly 400,000 international touristsfrom January to May this year, and the province’s five-year tourism plan hopesto attract 4 million tourists by 2025.
The steady growth in the number of Laotourist arrivals to Vietnam is a positive sign for both countries’ tourismindustries and a testament to the close ties between the two nations./.
