VIENTIANE, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Laos has seen a surge in the number of visitors in the first six month of 2022, following the lifting of travel restrictions as the COVID-19 pandemic subsided.
Records show that 42,197 foreign nationals entered Laos on tourist visas in the first six months of this year.
Most visitors arrived in May and June, when 35,983 foreign tourists were recorded after the government waived all entry formalities, local daily Vientiane Times reported on Tuesday.
During the first five months of 2022, 36,529 people visited Laos, staying for an average of 7.9 days and spending an average of 1,245,000 kip (some 83 U.S. dollars) per person per day, generating revenue of more than 4.55 million U.S. dollars.
The number of domestic tourists in the first five months of 2022 was recorded at 626,825, up 2.8 percent compared to the same period last year.
With an average stay of 2.5 days per person, and average spending of 675,000 kip (some 45 U.S. dollars) per person per day, the estimated revenue from domestic tourists is about 70.79 million U.S. dollars.
Most tourists enter Laos from the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge in Lao capital Vientiane, Wattay International Airport and Luang Prabang International Airport.
From January to April, when tourists were first allowed into Laos after the country's borders reopened, 546 people booked holidays with tour companies, according to the report.
An increasing number of tourists are arriving from ASEAN countries. In one month from May to June, 33,435 tourists came to Laos, with 18,621 coming from Thailand and 14,447 from Vietnam.
In other figures recorded over the first five months of this year, 1,902 people from the Asia-Pacific region visited Laos, 467 from Europe, 512 from the United States, and 23 from Africa and the Middle East. ■
