Tourism ministry gears up for influx of Chinese visitors

The government is organising a raft of activities and improving facilities and services in preparation for the expected arrival of a large number of Chinese tourists from 2023 to 2025.
The Chinese constitute one of the largest groups of visitors to Laos,​ with their numbers soaring since the Chinese government authorised outbound travel for tour groups in January.

The stunning Tad Xeponglai waterfall in Attapeu province. --Photo Lao Thiao Laos

The flood of Chinese visitors follows their absence throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, when travel outside the country was banned.
In anticipation of increasing numbers of Chinese tour groups, the government is improving road links between train stations, tourist attractions, and arterial roads. It is expected that most Chinese tourists will arrive by train.
Access roads to tourist sites are also being upgraded, and signs in Lao, Chinese and English are being installed to indicate the various attractions close to the Laos-China Railway.
The government will also give priority to airlines wanting to schedule flights between Laos and China and is working to improve tourism products and modernise tourism operations to suit the Chinese market, according to the Ministry of Information, Culture and​ Tourism.
The ministry​ will focus on places known to be popular among Chinese tourists and provide more information about them in the Chinese language, such as the history and rules for visitors.
Restaurant menus will also be updated to include Chinese.
The government also plans to make a video in Chinese detailing Laos’ major attractions and provide Chinese language training for tour guides, all with the aim of making visitors feel welcome and encouraging them to return. 
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, more than one million Chinese visited Laos, accounting for about 20 percent of all tourist arrivals, but last year only about 45,000 Chinese tourists came to Laos.
In the first four months of this year, about 1.6 million domestic and foreign tourists took trips in Laos, with the figure being a marked increase over the number of tourists recorded in the same period of 2022.
More​ than​ 485,000 of this number were Lao nationals, while more​ than 1.1 million visitors came from other countries.
The largest number came from Thailand with 430,979, followed by 224,461 from Vietnam and 223,350 from China, Minister​ of​ Planning and Investment Mr Khamjane Vongphosy told the National Assembly recently.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update July 17, 2023)