Passengers are boarding the train at the Vientiane Station on the Laos-China Railway, heading for northern provinces of Laos. The railway has brought large number of tourists to Laos.

Govt set to announce free tourist visas for Chinese nationals

The government plans to announce free tourist visas for Chinese nationals in a bid to attract more visitors from Laos’ northern neighbour, one of the main sources of tourists, with an announcement expected later this month.
However, the waiver of tourist visa fees will apply only to the remaining six months of Visit Laos Year and to people travelling on package tours led by a travel agent, Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Mrs Darany Phommavongsa told media personnel from China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Monday.

Mrs Darany Phommavongsa says the Laos-China Railway is making a significant contribution to the growth of Lao tourism.	Counsellor of the Mission of China to ASEAN Geng Hailing (left), who leads the media delegation on the tour, presents a gift to Mrs Darany Phommavongsa.

In addition to the planned special policy for Chinese nationals, the government is considering offering visa-related incentives to visitors from other target markets, which would include free multiple-entry visas, and an extended duration from 30 to 60 days, but the precise targets have not yet been identified.
Mrs Dalany gave an interview to reporters during the week-long ASEAN Media Tour 2024 on the Laos-China Railway. Organised by China’s Mission to ASEAN in collaboration with China Daily, the trip started in Vientiane and will end in Yunnan province, China.
The deputy minister, who is in charge of tourism affairs, said that the raiway, which is transforming landlocked Laos into a land-link country in line with the government’s goals, plays a crucial role in driving the Lao economy, especially the tourism industry.
“The government of the Lao PDR aims to develop the Laos-China Railway into an economic corridor that generates huge income for the nation,” she said.
“It contributes to the solution of the country’s economic situation by transporting passengers and goods.”
She explained how the railway, which constitutes part of the Belt and Road Initiative, is making a significant contribution to the growth of tourism, saying that over the past year (from April 13, 2023 to the start of April 2024) since the start of the cross-border train service between Vientiane and Kunming, the railway has carried more than 172,000 cross-border passengers.
In the first four months of this year, Laos welcomed more than 1.5 million foreign tourists, an increase of about 35 percent compared to the same period last year. Chinese tourists numbered at least 351,000, making China the third largest source of foreign visitors to Laos after Thailand and Vietnam respectively. The number of tourists from all ASEAN countries grew to more than 862,000, an increase of 18 percent compared to the same period in 2023.
Domestic tourism is also booming with many popular tourist hotpots such as Luang Prabang and Vangvieng flooded with both local and foreign visitors, thanks to the convenient and affordable service offered by the railway.
“The Laos-China Railway has made a strong contribution to facilitating passengers and tourists, and the Laos-China Railway Company has actively cooperated in providing impressive services as well as promoting tourism activities,” Mrs Darany said.
In addition to rail, the government is also improving the condition of roads in transit areas as well as road access to some well-known tourist attractions, to make it easier for visitors to reach popular locations.

By Souksakhone Vaenkeo
 (Latest Update June 26, 2024)