On December 18, AFP news agency reported that Lao health authorities are speeding up the vaccination of additional doses of the vaccine to the country's people at tourist hotspots along the newly opened Laos-China high-speed railway. This railway is expected to welcome more than 1 million passengers during the Lunar New Year in 2022.
The Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism has recently announced a roadmap to open the country in three phases. In phase 1 (from January 1, 2022), Laos will open its doors to 17 countries, including Vietnam and many neighboring ASEAN countries, China, the US, Canada, Australia and some European countries. Phase 2 will start from April 1, 2022 and the final phase will be implemented from July 1, 2022.
Ms. Suansavanh Viyaketh - Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism of Laos said that the first localities on the list of green tourism zones include the capital Vientiane, Vientiane province, Luang Prabang, Champasak, Khammuan, Xieng Khuang, Oudomxay and Xayaboury.
Patuxai Triumphal Arch (Vientiane) is a place that attracts many tourists to Laos. - Photo: Internet
The Lao Ministry of Health also said it will begin administering additional vaccinations to people in green tourism zones and provinces along the Laos-China railway to ensure necessary safety criteria before reopening.
People entering Laos for tourism purposes must meet a number of conditions such as: fully declaring information and travel schedule via the online system, purchasing Covid-19 insurance, having a vaccination certificate, having a negative test result for SARS-CoV-2 virus within 72 hours before entering the country, and booking a package tour at the green tourism zone. In addition, tourists must also be quarantined for 24 hours at a hotel designated by the Covid-19 Committee to wait for test results. If the result is negative, tourists will be allowed to go to the green tourism zone, but if the result is positive, tourists will have to be quarantined for 3 days before being tested again.
Before the pandemic, Laos welcomed about 4.7 million tourists a year. However, the number of tourists to Laos fell by 80% in 2020. Laos' growth also fell to 0.4% last year, the lowest in three decades.
