Laos opened its borders to 17 countries from the beginning of 2022, including Vietnam.

On December 18, AFP reported that Lao health authorities are accelerating the administration of booster doses of vaccines to citizens at tourist hotspots along the newly opened Laos-China high-speed railway. This railway is expected to welcome over 1 million passengers during the Lunar New Year holiday in 2022.

The Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism recently announced a three-phase roadmap for reopening the country. Phase 1 (starting January 1, 2022) will see Laos open its doors to 17 countries, including Vietnam and many neighboring ASEAN countries, China, the United States, Canada, Australia, and several European nations. Phase 2 will begin on April 1, 2022, and the final phase will commence on July 1, 2022.

Ms. Suansavanh Viyaketh, Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism of Laos, stated 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.

The Lao Ministry of Health also stated that it will begin administering booster shots to people in tourist green zones and provinces along the Laos-China railway line to ensure necessary safety standards are met before reopening.

Tourists entering Laos must meet several conditions, including: providing complete information and travel itinerary online, purchasing Covid-19 insurance, having a vaccination certificate, possessing a negative SARS-CoV-2 test result within 72 hours prior to entry, and booking a package tour in a designated tourist zone. Additionally, tourists must quarantine for 24 hours at a hotel designated by the Covid-19 Committee while awaiting test results. If the result is negative, they will be allowed to enter the tourist zone; if positive, they will have to quarantine for 3 days before being retested.

Before the pandemic, Laos welcomed approximately 4.7 million tourists annually. However, the number of tourists visiting Laos decreased by 80% in 2020. Laos' growth rate also slowed to 0.4% last year, the lowest in three decades.

Khanh Ha