After years of isolation Laos began to encourage tourism as part of its general policy of liberalisation, admitting its first tourists in October 1989 and receiving 14,400 visitors in 1990. The requirement that travellers obtain permission before travelling around the country was removed in 1994, and in 1997 the Lao authorities began issuing 15-day arrival visas at Wattay Airport and the Mittaphab Friendship Bridge. Statistics published by the Lao National Tourism Administration (LNTA) show that between 1990 and 1997 tourism arrivals increased at an annual rate of 74 per cent and, despite slow downs following the 1997 Asian economic crisis and the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States of America, reached a total of 735,662 in 2002.

The SARS and bird flu pandemics of 2003 took their toll on visitor arrivals across the entire region, and in Laos the number of tourist arrivals dropped to 636,361. However, recovery was relatively swift and the figures for 2004 showed a 22 per cent increase over 2002's previous high to reach a total of 894,806. In 2004 tourism generated US$118,947,707. By 2010 the Lao National Tourism Administration aims to attract 1.2 million visitors each year, generating revenue of over US$189 million per annum.

Use the navigation bar on the left to read more about tourism in Laos or make direct contact with organisations and individuals working in this sector through our KEY CONTACTS database.