Luang Prabang tops Laos attraction
Around 83% of all travellers to Laos will visit Luang Prabang according to a survey by Lao PDR’s Tourism Development Department, which comes under under the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism.
It confirms what travellers have known for decades; Luang Prabang outshines even the capital Vientiane in recognition and popularity.
Vientiane Times quoted department officials who provided details of the survey that was part of a tourism report on trends in 2015 that included a survey of 2,800 overseas visitors on travel itineraries.
It was carried out at international checkpoints such as Wattay International Airport, the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge linking Vientiane to Thailand’s Nong Khai province and in Luang Prabang and Champassak provinces.
83% of foreign tourists, who visit Laos, put the world heritage town of Luang Prabang at the top of their itinerary.
Luang Prabang will see an even more dramatic growth in popularity this year. Thai AirAsia was the first low-cost airline to break a virtual ban on budget airlines flying to Luang Prabang when it launched services 24 March from Bangkok.

Photo: Internet

SilkAir will launch three weekly flights to Vientiane and Luang Prabang from 31 October. Another LCC, HK Express, has also stated that it plans to a launch services to Luang Prabang by the end of 2016, providing Laos with its first nonstop link from Hong Kong to Luang Prabang.
According to the survey Vientiane was a close second in the popularity rankings, with 80% travellers spending time there. Champasak province with 58% was a distant third.
As more direct flights go into Luang Prabang, the role of Vientiane as an overland and air gateway could diminish, but it will offer more options for travellers to combine overland travel and enter and exit the country through different airports.
In fourth place, the popular tourist resort of Vang Vieng garnered 33% of the vote, while Bokeo and Khammuan provinces were in joint fifth place with 17%.
Of those surveyed, no one named Xaysomboun province as being somewhere they planned to visit.
The survey also revealed that 70% of visitors visited the country to see its temples and monuments. 66% of them said they were interested in scenic attractions, 48% said food was an interest, while 34% said they were keen to visit new destinations.
In addition, most visitors said they got information about Laos from the internet with 63% citing this source, while 30% said they read guidebooks, 23% said they got information from friends, and 16% said they contacted travel agencies or tour operators.