tourism laos 2022

Laos reopens and prepares for international tourists with few restrictions

May 12, 2022 • 2 min read

Laos is now fully reopened to foreign visitors ©Art65395/Shutterstock

It's one of Southeast Asia 's most isolated countries but after more than two years of border closures, Laos has opened up to all international tourists this week.

The landlocked country, which borders Thailand , Vietnam , Cambodia , and, China to the north, was one of the final Southeast Asian countries to welcome tourists back.

Throughout most of its border closures, foreigners were only permitted to visit Laos for essential reasons, before it cautiously reopened to tourists from select countries in January. But this week, the popular backpacking destination took a huge step forward by opening its borders to all international tourists... with some restrictions.

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Laos entry rules

If you're fully vaccinated, you'll need to present proof. You don't need a booster but you must have completed the required recommended dose of a primary vaccine schedule which usually means two doses, or in the case of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, one dose. The final required dose should have been administered at least 14 days before departure.

If you're unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated, you'll need to take a pre-departure PCR or antigen COVID-19 test within 48 hours of departure and present the negative result upon arrival.

All test and vaccine certificates must be uploaded to this mobile application before travel.

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You'll also be required to take out medical insurance that covers COVID-19 treatment, just in case you contract the virus on your trip, in which case you'd be responsible for the costs of your own medical treatment.

Children under 12 are exempt from vaccination and testing requirements.

Electronic visa applications for Laos are now open and eligible travelers can apply online. The Laos tourism board said approval usually takes about one business day, but it's still a good idea to apply well in advance of your trip.

Can tourists explore Laos without restrictions?

Before this week, tourists who visited Laos were only permitted to do so as part of a pre-booked tour and they had to stay in certified hotels. But those rules have been scrapped and tourists are free to roam places like the capital Vientiane , checking out its riverside markets and street food venders; the ancient city of Luang Prabang in the north of the country; and the backpacker resort of Vang Vieng , generally as they would have pre-pandemic.

Face masks are still required in some places and officials in some areas with higher virus activity may implement stricter curbs.

The state-run Vientiane Times newspaper said, per ABC News , that the decision to reopen Laos was based on falling virus case numbers. Deputy Health Minister Snong Thongsna confirmed the average daily number of new infections is less than 200 now, after falling from 2,000 in February.

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Laos Announces Updated Tourist Visa Fees

Laos has announced an updated tourist visa fee structure following the full reopening of the country to tourism early this month.

A notice issued by the Consular Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, last week provides an update on the latest visa-on-arrival fees for tourists of different origins.

Visas provided on arrival for foreign nationals from all nationalities will be charged USD 40, except for Chinese and Vietnamese nationals, when applying for a tourist visa at an international checkpoint, according to the notice.

Chinese or Vietnamese citizens applying for a visa on arrival to Laos will be charged only USD 20.

The notice states that foreigners of Lao descent and their family members, or family members of Lao citizens who hold foreign citizenship, will also be charged USD 40 per person for a visa on arrival.

Laos  announced a full reopening to tourism  on 9 May allowing vaccinated arrivals to enter the country without any testing requirements.

All international checkpoints are now open for entry and exit by Lao citizens, foreign residents, tourists, and other types of visitors.

Those wishing to visit Laos may apply for a visa at a Lao embassy or consulate abroad or via the e-Visa online system.

Visas on arrival have also been reinstated at major international checkpoints, such as the Laos-Thailand Friendship Bridge and Wattay International Airport.

Source: https://laotiantimes.com/2022/05/25/laos-announces-updated-tourist-visa-fees/

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Laos reopens borders to all fully vaccinated travellers on 9th May; an update on your favorite destinations and what to expect travelling in Laos post-covid.

According to the most recent assembly on 26/4/2022 by the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Laos will be completely open to the country to fully welcome travelers from all over the world starting from May 1st, 2022 onwards with the following specifics:

Conditions for tourists entering Laos

Before entering Lao PDR:

• Welcoming all tourists, whether traveling to Laos through a travel agency or on their own.
• Must have a full vaccination certificate with at least two doses at least 14 days before departure. or have a covid infection history (except for travelers under 18 years of age, travel certificates are not required).
• Tourists who have received full-dose vaccinations and children under the age of five will not be screened for RT-PCR before entering Lao PDR. Those who have not received a full-dose vaccination must obtain an RT-PCR certificate 72 hours before departure; upon arrival in Lao PDR, everyone must be tested for COVID by RDT/ATK. If negative test results are permitted to proceed as planned.
• Borders tourists arriving in the morning and returning in the evening (1-day tripper) must have a vaccination certificate and pass an RDT / ATK test. Those without a vaccination certificate must have a negative RT test within 48 hours before entering Laos.
• Tourists can apply for a visa at a checkpoint or E-Visa. Citizens of countries that have visa exemption agreements with Lao PDR, either bilateral or unilateral. able to enter the PDR Laos without a visa.
• Tourists must purchase health insurance or life insurance with a guaranteed limit of at least $10,000, which can be purchased from the country of origin or from an insurance company in Lao PDR.

After arriving in Lao PDR:

• Rapid examination (RDT/ATK) by medical personnel for tourists using tour operator services. Samples can be taken for testing and await results at the hotel provided by the tour operator. For travelers traveling on their own, the test results must wait no more than 1 hour.
• If the result of the test is negative, tourists can travel around. If the test is positive, tourists must comply with the measures determined by the working group, and once the treatment is finished, tourists will be able to travel as normal.
• For those who have not received the full dosage of the COVID vaccination, even if the RDT/ATK test is negative, tourists must be quarantined for 7 days.

Traveling within Lao PDR:

• Tourists are required to wear masks, maintain their distance, and wash their hands with soap or alcohol gel frequently.
• Tourists must take note of their symptoms; if there are any concerns or risks, tourists must immediately take a COVID test. If the result is positive, the hotel or place where tourists stay must be notified as soon as possible so that the hotel can call each province's emergency number.

Before leaving the country:

Check RT-PCR or according to the conditions of the destination country.

Visitors are welcome to travel to all provinces throughout Laos; Outstanding natural, cultural, historical, and agricultural attractions can be visited in the capital city of Vientiane and the provinces across the country.

Rank 1: Luang Prabang

The most favourite city in Laos, famous for 

Rank 2: Vang Vieng

Rank 3: Vientiane

Rank 3: Pakse 

Rank 4: Oudomxai

Rank 5: Khammouane

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Aon SEELAPHONE

Having honed her skills in social work through the handicraft sector, Aon is now part of the social media and content creation team. She is skilled in researching and discovering unique strategies to reach out to larger audiences/followers on many platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

Find more about me at DiscoverLaos.Today

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The “Lasting Laos” campaign and the SUSTOUR Laos Project are working with local businesses to encourage sustainable tourism and help the Lao economy recover from the financial setbacks of the Covid pandemic. 

Today’s travelers look for more than just comfort and value: many now seek to improve their carbon footprints by making more sustainable travel, lodging, and dining choices. Laos – home to three UNESCO world heritage sites as well as some of the most unspoiled nature in Southeast Asia, is a small but geographically diverse country, with a variety of locations and attractions for travelers, from the cities to ancient cultural sites to tranquil waterfalls. International tourism that was down almost 100% is now reopening.

Somneuk Chanthaphanith, the owner of Indigo Fabric Laos from Luang Prabang Province is one of many entrepreneurs affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. He has lost revenue as most of his main customers are international tourists.

Somneuk joined the “Lasting Laos” campaign and was given the opportunity to sell his products at the “Lasting Laos” booth at the Luang Prabang Night Market every Saturday, free of charge. The booth aims to help local businesses expand their distribution channels and as a result, he and other participants are able to increase their incomes.

The “Lasting Laos” campaign is implemented by the SUSTOUR Laos Project, funded by the European Union and implemented by Plan International Laos is helping local businesses to overcome these difficult times. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a profound toll on the tourism industry globally, and particularly in Laos. SUSTOUR has helped Lao suppliers to see that the “downtime” of the pandemic and the closure of borders can bring fruitful opportunities for businesses to prepare for the future. While international tourism was impossible since 2020, SUSTOUR worked with the Lao Visit Lao program to promote domestic tourism through the “Lao Visit Lao” program.

“This project is very timely as Laos prepares for reopening to tourism in the coming months”, said EU Ambassador, Ina Marčiulionytė at the opening of the project. And indeed now that the international tourism industry begins to return, participants of SUSTOUR will be ready to meet new customers with a fresh and sustainable image.

“Laos is rich in its natural environment. We have more than twenty national parks, and a lot of nature is still untouched,” says Inthy Deuansavanh, a hotel and restaurant owner who runs  Green Discovery Laos . “The way to keep tourism in Laos sustainable is to keep it a niche, high-end, expensive product – that’s our strength because we can’t compete on price with places like China or Thailand.”

The SUSTOUR program is dedicated to empowering businesses to improve the sustainability of their tourism, hospitality, and handicraft in three Lao provinces: Luang Prabang, Vientiane Province, and Vientiane Capital. Workshops in the Lao language allow space for participants to learn sustainable practices which benefit the earth while simultaneously attracting eco-conscious customers from both within Laos and from abroad. The Lasting Laos certificate provides benchmarks and checklists of sustainability requirements which are based on the International Travelife certificate. Waste management is a priority in this certificate program, as are pollution reduction and energy consumption reduction.

The Lasting Laos campaign on Facebook and other social media contributes to create local word-of-mouth promotion which encourages more businesses to enroll in the program for themselves and the changes which businesses make in their practices as a result of meeting certification criteria are often a “win-win” situation for both the environment and for the businesses themselves: reducing energy costs, for example.

“Travelife really helped us have clear sustainability goals and a framework to achieve them,” says Alexandra Michat, Director Of Sustainability at  EXO Travel . Workshops are tailor-made, flexible, and adaptable methods for achieving sustainability that are hugely different for a bar, a hotel, or a silk weaver. While Lao air travel providers may be unable to turn to plastic alternatives due to the cost and weight of alternatives, minivan and boat services are able to phase out single-use plastics. Also, the venue is important, suppliers in the food and beverage industry receive coaching in the ideal ambiance of a cuisine, and on food packaging that attracts customers the most. For handicraft suppliers, coaching is extended to help retailers understand the requirements of legal and fair trade. Handicraft suppliers are also encouraged to embrace and express the cultural significance of their goods, which helps with sales.

SUSTOUR’s Workshops are held in the destinations which need them most. Luang Prabang UNESCO World Heritage site, and Laos’ cultural capital, hosts the cultural excursions workshop, but no workshops are held in the popular tourist destination of Vang Vieng because Travelife certification is already popular and widely understood there.

For many Lao businesses, educating employees on sustainable best practices was a dream made unattainable by budget constraints.   This is why incentives encouraging suppliers’ participation in these workshops include waived registration fees, supportive training and coaching for a full year, community service through sustainability, and connecting to other businesses. While meeting sustainability goals is the main focus of the program, the year of provided coaching and training often go beyond those criteria in order to provide guidance that supports the success of businesses more generally.    

For some, SUSTOUR workshops will be a gateway to world-class opportunities in hospitality. In September of 2022, SUSTOUR will invite successful participants to attend a professional travel ad hospitality conference in Singapore. By covering the travel and registration costs of those successful business, SUSTOUR empowers them to learn more cutting-edge practices from their peers abroad. When these professionals return home to Laos, their success will serve as promotion for the SUSTOUR program itself, so that it may continue to grow, aiding both Laos’ economy and the environment as a whole.

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