Laos

Luang Prabang authorities have opened the walking path on Mount Phousi on the National Museum side, after finishing renovation works

Thailand's Cabinet approved 1.78 billion THB ($55.4 million USD) in financial assistance for Laos to construct the Xiengman-Luang Prabang Mekong Bridge, linking Luang Prabang with the Xayabouly-Thailand border corridor. Construction is expected to begin by 2027 and the bridge is projected to enter operation by 2031. It is expected to decrease travel time between Thailand's Nan Province and Luang Prabang by 30 to 45 minutes

The China-Laos Railway carried 244,000 cross-border passenger trips in the first eight months of 2026, up more than 50% YoY. The railway has operated 3,789 cross-border passenger trains to date, serving 926,000 cross-border traveller trips from more than 120 countries and regions. Cross-border passenger seats per train have risen from 250 to 420 since the service launched in 2023, and daily passenger crossings have risen from about 300 to a peak of 1,640. During the summer travel rush from 1 Jul-1 Sep 2026, the Mohan railway port processed more than 57,000 entry-exit travellers from 72 countries and regions, +51% YoY, with a single-day peak of more than 1,100 clearances. Consumption in scenic attractions, hotels and catering along the route increased by more than 35%

Thatluang Lake Golf Resort in Vientiane, within the Thatluang Lake Special Economic Zone, is scheduled to open before the end of the year. Designed by Faldo Design and built by Flagstick GCCM with turf supplied by Sports Turf Solutions, the par-70 course has been conceived to help establish Laos as an emerging golf tourism destination in Southeast Asia

Luang Prabang’s economy grew 3.9% in H1 2026, despite tourist arrivals recorded at 1 million, down by 884,775 in H1 2025. There were 1.3 million passenger trips on the Laos-China Railway in H1 in Luang Prabang

A new Vientiane-Udon Thani bus route was opened on 9 Sep by the Thai Transport Company (BKS), with stops at the airport in Udon Thani

Champasak authorities have taken full management and preservation responsibility of the Vat Phou UNESCO World Heritage site on 1 Sep, after the expiration of Ying Soxay’s 15-year tourism development concession on 22 Jun

An investment promotion seminar on tourism, health and education held in Vientiane aimed to bring Malaysia and Laos together to strengthen ties and cooperation opportunities

Heavy monsoon rain in late Aug flooded more than 100 villages across Oudomxay, Luang Namtha and Luang Prabang provinces in northern Laos, damaging homes, farmland and infrastructure. Luang Namtha saw flash floods across 54 villages between 28-30 Aug, Oudomxay suffered its third and most severe flood wave of the month on 29-30 Aug, impacting 81 villages across Namor, Xay and La districts, with earlier Aug flooding in the province estimated at 48.47 billion LAK ($2.1 million USD) in damage. A flash flood in Luang Prabang's Nambak district on 30 Aug affected 8 villages, with losses of around 1.83 billion LAK ($81,000 USD). In Khammouane, 2 rounds of flooding affected all 10 districts between Jul-Aug, the first from 3-17 Jul hitting 121 villages at an estimated 137 billion LAK ($6.1 million USD), and the second from 5-18 Aug inundating 298 villages

Representatives from China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam discussed expanding trade, agriculture and tourism cooperation at the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation River-Source Dialogue in Xining, Qinghai on 28-29 Aug. The Deputy Secretary of the Khammouane Provincial Party Committee proposed jointly developing tourism destination products and creating a "Six Countries, One Destination" tourism route, including water-based and rail tourism routes linking multiple countries, common visa arrangements or streamlined cross-border procedures, and a shared digital platform providing tourism information and one-stop booking services. Myanmar's Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Hotels, Tourism and Culture said Myanmar's traditional textiles and lacquerware could generate sustainable economic opportunities through cultural and creative industries and cultural tourism. The Governor of Cambodia's Takeo province said the Funan Techo Integrated Water Resources Management project would unlock tourism opportunities by connecting historical waterways, heritage sites, traditional villages and ecotourism areas across the LMC region into an integrated tourism corridor

The Laos cabinet drafted laws and proposals to stabilise its economy, with growth in H1 2026 at 5% - it aims to maintain its 6% growth target for FY 2026

The Laos cabinet drafted laws and proposals to stabilise its economy, with growth in H1 2026 at 5% - it aims to maintain its 6% growth target for FY 2026

Khammouane province in Laos and Thailand’s Nakhon Phanom Province discussed greater collaboration to transform the area into a tourism destination with the idea of developing short itineraries that combine religious, cultural, historical and natural tourism under a “one journey, two countries” concept

Xaysomboun province will see a $20 million USD golf course being built in Phouhuaxang village, Anouvong district

Over 1 million tourists visited Luang Prabang province in H1 2026, down 884,775, almost half of 2025’s H1 arrivals

Laos saw 21,133 Japanese tourists in H1 2026, +36% YoY, with the increase attributed to promotional efforts, Japanese Princess Aiko’s visit to Laos in 2025 and Laos’ participation in the World Expo 2025 Osaka. A new agreement was signed with a Japanese company to promote Laos as a destination to Japanese travellers through promotion and the Lao Festival in Tokyo

More than 10,000 people have been impacted by flooding in Savannakhet province in southern Laos, whilst in northern Laos, Nan district in Luang Prabang province also saw flooding

26 ASEAN Tourism Standards awards and certificates have been awarded to Luang Prabang province tourism-related facilities in 2025-2026, including 14 ASEAN green hotel awards

The Fifth Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge is set to see vehicle tolls set between 50-500 THB, with scheduled international bus services being exempted

The Tourism Marketing and Promotion Department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism signed an agreement with HTH Import-Export Sole Co., Ltd., MATT Sole Co., Ltd. and LS Education Center to support the promotion of tourism in Laos. It aims to promote cultural identity through souvenirs featuring the “White Elephant” symbol, digital tourism through an app and training in foreign languages for tourism professionals

The Vietnam PM restated the country’s highest priority is to strengthen its relationship with Laos, with closer coordination

Laos’ international border checkpoints saw increases in revenue collection YoY from Jan-Jul 2026. The Vangtao International Checkpoint in Champasak, bordering Thailand’s Chong Mek Checkpoint, saw +85.04% YoY; the 3rd Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge Checkpoint in Khammouane province saw increases of 142.28% YoY; and the Lalai International Customs Checkpoint in Salavanh, which borders Vietnam’s Quang Tri province, saw an increase of 855.06% YoY

Laos and Bangladesh have agreed to enhance bilateral ties, including for tourism, trade and education. Bangladesh requested that Laos make visa access easier for Bangladeshi passport holders