Ulaanbaatar, June 10, 2024 /MONTSAME/. Laos first appeared on the world map in the 14th century when the great king Fa Ngum united many fragmented tribes to establish the state of "Lang Xang Hom Khao," which had a territory that exactly matches to the territory of present-day Laos.

The ancient name of the country translates to "Land of a Million Elephants and the White Parasol." This signifies that the Lao kings of that era revered white elephants, considered sacred creatures symbolizing strength and wisdom, while the white parasol represented the king's power and authority.

Looking into Laos's modern history, the Lao people endured the hardships of colonialism under French rule from 1893 and occupation by Japanese aggressors in 1945. They also suffered from a civil war lasting more than a decade from 1960 to 1973, and the Vietnam War. The establishment of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR) in 1975 marked a period of socialist-oriented development. However, since the collapse of the socialist system in 1990, Laos has opened up to the world and embarked on a path of rapid development. The Lao people, comprised of three main ethnic groups—Lao Sung, Lao Lum, and Lao Theung—and over 60 subgroups, are a resilient, industrious, and heroic nation who have relentlessly fought for their freedom and independence.

In secondary school, history, and geography were taught us so well that we all memorized the names of socialist countries, their capitals, and their leaders. Two names that still stick with me are Vientiane and Kaysone Phomvihan. I also vividly recall the news on TV and radio about the generous assistance the Mongolian people provided to Laos. However, at the time, there was not much information available about the Lao people's lives, history, culture, religion, customs, or the country's nature. Now, with the internet at our fingertips, we can gain a general understanding of any country.

Laos is a country with the most beautiful nature in Southeast Asia. Tourists from all over the world agree that Laotians are among the most well-behaved, hospitable, and helpful people in the world.

The Lao People's Democratic Republic, located in the central part of the Indochina Peninsula is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. However, Laos borders with all other countries of the Indochina Peninsula (China, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand). Leveraging this advantage, Laos has achieved commendable success in developing tourism and infrastructure and attracting foreign investment. Transforming the weakness of being landlocked into an advantage, Laos now aims at becoming a land bridge, connecting its neighbors through the shortest route. The latest example is the opening of the railway between China's Kunming city and Laos's Vientiane city at the end of 2021, a strategic step for the landlocked country to connect with other nations in the region and around the world. Also, this development offers an opportunity to transport goods by rail between Mongolia and Laos.

The Government of Laos set an ambitious goal to graduate from the list of least-developed countries by 2020 and as a result of achievements in foreign investment, development of infrastructure, and tourism, the United Nations General Assembly removed Laos from the list at the end of 2021.

Laos is an extraordinary and mysterious country, boasting beautiful natural wonders and a unique culture. Visitors can explore majestic temples, breathtaking waterfalls, and exquisite caves in Laos. Interestingly, coffee, like Sri Lankan tea, is one of the main exports of Laos. Its high-quality, distinctively flavored Arabica and Robusta coffees are highly sought after in the global market.

The northern part of Laos is famous for its lush, evergreen forests and cascading waterfalls. In contrast, the south features rolling hills dotted with verdant rice paddies. Until recently, more than 70 percent of Laos's land was covered by coniferous forests and palm groves. Although this figure has decreased to about 50 percent, Laos is still a notably green country.

Not affected by mass tourism, Laos maintains its pristine nature, making it an ideal place for adventure and eco-tourism. Since 1993, the Government of Laos targets to include 21 percent of its territory in the national network of protected areas and establish national parks. Therefore, an appealing tourism destination is forming in Southeast Asia.

Laos appears to be a perfect destination for tourists on a budget as the cost of accomodation, food, and transport is the cheapest than in other countries.

Tourism played a key role in increasing Laos’ annual economic growth of around 8 percent for a decade until when the COVID-19 global pandemic struck in 2019. The number of tourists visiting Laos was more than 3 million in 2012 and reached 4.7 million in 2019, which was equivalent to 70 percent of the total population of the country. Tourism is one of the five main income sources of the country and has a significant role in reducing poverty and growing the economy of Laos. For example, 120 thousand jobs were created in the tourism sector in 2018, and indirectly 385 thousand Laotians were employed in the sector. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of tourists visiting Laos dropped dramatically.

Having beautiful nature, unique historical and cultural sights, and incredibly hospitable people, Laos was named the World Best Tourist Destination for 2013 by the European Council on Tourism and Trade.

The 4350-km Mekong River, the longest river in Southeast Asia sustains the Laotian people, running through 1835 km in Laos. For a landlocked country like Laos, this river is a water source replacing a sea that allows river transport, hydro-energy, rice field watering, and fishing. Laotians worship and revere the Mekong River as “the mother of all rivers.”

The widest waterfall on earth called Khone Phapheng, known as “Niagara Falls of the East, which is 10 km in width in the Mekong River, flows along the border areas between Laos and Cambodia. This magnificent natural formation attracts tourists with its fierce majesty. However, this waterfall is the reason why river transport from Laos to China is not possible.

Furthermore, along the widest section of the Mekong River, flowing through the southern part of Laos, there is an extraordinary natural formation of many small islands referred to as “4000 islands.” The fine grain sand beaches, turquoise green waves of the Mekong River entice the wish to sunbathe.

Laos has numerous historical, cultural, and natural sightseeing places, but due to the poor infrastructure development, tourists face difficulties in reaching those places. The Government of Laos working hard to meet the standard set by the Global Tourism Sustainable Council (GTSC) by improving tourism infrastructure, the capacity of employees in the sector, and facilitating visa issuance. Meantime, actively participating in the ASEAN tourism integration process, Laos is collaborating with Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam to establish integrated tourist routes.

To recover and accelerate the development of the tourism sector which declined due to the pandemic, the country has developed a tourism plan for 2021-2025.