The Royal Palace in Luang Prabang, Laos, a tourism site that attract a large number of domestic and foreign travelers. VNA/VNS Photo

VIENTIANE More than 263,160 Vietnamese people visited Laos in the first three months of this year, becoming the second biggest source of foreign visitors to the country during the period, according to the Tourism Development Department of Lao Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism.

Laos welcomed over 1 million foreign tourists in the reviewed period, it said, adding that visitors from Thailand topped the list with 337,689. China, the Republic of Korea and China ranked third, fourth and fifth, respectively.

According to the ministry, in addition to promoting tourism, the Visit Laos Year 2024 also aims to introduce the country's art, culture and traditions, as well as provide information about its long-standing history and sustainable use of natural resources to tourists.

Recently, many famous travel magazines in the region and the world have rated Laos as one of the attractive destinations or "slow travel" spots. They highlighted its cultural attractions, outdoor experiences and timeless charm.

To achieve the goals set for this year, Laos has built short-term and long-term strategies to develop this key economic sector to compete with other countries in the region, making an important contribution to its economic recovery and development.

The Lao government hopes to host at least 4.6 million international tourists in 2024, generating a revenue of US$1.3 billion. VNS