Regarding the roadmap for opening up to fully vaccinated international tourists, Lao Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Ounthuang Khaophan said that tourists from neighboring countries, especially Vietnam, China and other ASEAN countries, will be considered for entry into Laos first.
According to Ounthuang, Laos’ current priority is to vaccinate at least 50% of its population against Covid-19 by the end of the year. As of October 23, 43.55% of Laos’ population had received one dose of the vaccine and 37.24% had completed vaccination. This may be the reason why the Southeast Asian country has yet to set a date to reopen to vaccinated foreign tourists while many countries in the region plan to reopen their borders.
Once more than 50% of the population has been vaccinated and the pandemic has eased, Laos may reopen its borders to vaccinated travelers. At that point, visitors from neighboring countries, especially Vietnam, China and other ASEAN countries, will be considered first, followed by those from other low-risk countries.
Patuxay, Vientiane, Laos.
Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Laos has implemented strict border controls and travel restrictions to slow the spread of the disease. However, this has also severely affected the country's tourism industry and economy.
