According to CCTV News, on June 26th, the Lao Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism signed document No. 29, which outlines the implementation details of the visa policy for the "Visit Laos Year 2024."
The document states that tourists from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Province can enjoy a 15-day visa-free stay when joining travel groups organized through a travel company. This policy will be in effect from July 1st, 2024, to December 31st, 2024.
Following the announcement, the popularity of "Laos tourism" surged rapidly. On the Ctrip platform, searches for Laos-related keywords increased by 87% compared to the previous day. Popular tourist destinations include Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, Pakse, and Savannakhet. The highest interest in Laos travel comes from tourists in Yunnan, Shanghai, Beijing, Sichuan, and Guangdong.
The Qunar index shows that searches for Laos' capital, Vientiane, increased by 91% compared to the previous week. Additionally, Vientiane has become one of the top ten fastest-growing search destinations on the Qunar platform.
According to Fliggy, within an hour of the visa-free policy announcement, searches for flights to Laos nearly doubled. Kunming, Guangzhou, and Chengdu are the top departure cities for trips to Laos.
Reports from Yangcheng Evening News indicate that flight operations between China and Laos have recovered to approximately 90%. There are direct flights to Vientiane from Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Chongqing, Kunming, Haikou, and Nanning.
International railway information reveals that the China-Laos Railway, which operates international passenger trains between Kunming South and Vientiane stations, runs one train in each direction daily. The total travel time is nine hours and 26 minutes, allowing for same-day rail travel between Kunming and Vientiane.
Qunar reports that, as an international train destination, Vientiane had its instant search volume triple within an hour after the visa-free news announcement compared to the previous hour.
"The China-Laos Railway has launched international passenger trains between Kunming and Vientiane, addressing the shortfall in flight availability and playing a crucial role in promoting the movement of people and the development of tourism between the two countries," said a Ctrip spokesperson. This year, orders for travel to Laos by tourists from the Chinese mainland have doubled compared to the previous year, with summer travel orders increasing by more than 140%. Laos is now among the top ten fastest-growing outbound destinations for the summer.
The spokesperson noted that with the visa-free policy for Chinese tourists, Laos will join Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand in forming avisa-free zone, further boosting Chinese tourism to Southeast Asia.
The platform advises travelers that if they purchase train tickets to Laos online, they must present their valid passport, used at the time of purchase, at one of the designated ticket windows at Kunming, Kunming South, Pu'er, Xishuangbanna, or Mohan stations to exchange for a paper ticket before boarding.
中国游客免签再添一国！下一站：老挝
据央视新闻音问，当地工夫6月26日，老挝新闻文化旅游部部长签发《2024老挝旅游年对于对特定游客签证战术实施笃定》29号文献。
凭据文献骨子，中国内地（大陆）及港澳台游客不错通过旅游公司组织，享受凡俗护照15天免签战术。战术实行工夫从2024年7月1日起到2024年12月31日。
音问发出后，“老挝旅游”热度赶快高涨。携程平台上，老挝相干要害词搜索热度环比前一天增长87%，热点旅游城市包括万象、琅勃拉邦、万荣、巴色、沙湾拿吉等。云南、上海、北京、四川、广东等地游客搜索老挝旅游的温雅最高。
去哪儿指数显露，老挝皆门万象搜索量环比上周增长91%。此外，万象亦然去哪儿平台上搜索增速最快的十大城市之一。
飞猪方面则显露，免签战术发布1小时内，飞往老挝的机票搜索热度环比激增近一倍，其中昆明、广州、成皆是近期前去老挝旅游的热点国内开赴城市。
羊城晚报记者了解到，现在，中国至老挝的航班规复率约90%，上海、广州、杭州、重庆、昆明、海口、南宁均有直飞老挝皆门万象的航班。
海外铁路相干信息显露，已绽开的中老铁路从昆明南、万象站双向对开海外搭客列车，逐日各1列，全程入手工夫为9小时26分，昆明至万象间可杀青乘火车当日邃晓。
去哪儿方面示意，当作海外火车指标地，免签音问公布后一小时，万象在平台上的瞬时搜索量即环比上一小时增长3倍。
“中老铁路绽开昆明至万象间海外搭客列车，弥补了航班规复率的不及，对促进两国东谈主员流动和旅游业发展有遑急作用。”携程相干认真东谈主示意，本年以来，中国内地游客赴老挝旅游订单同比增长约1倍，暑期赴老挝旅游订单同比增长超140%，老挝位列暑期出境指标地增速靠前的十大国度。
该认真东谈主指出，老挝对中国游客免签后，将与“新马泰”酿成连片免签区，进一步带动中国游客前去东南亚旅游。
平台方教唆搭客，若通过互联网渠谈购买赴老挝火车票，搭车前需握购票时使用的本东谈主灵验护照，到昆明、昆明南、普洱、西双版纳、磨憨5个指定车站售票窗口有计划纸质车票方可登车。
文丨记者 刘星彤 通信员 李栋 晓双 大宝
翻译丨林佳岱