Laos prepares to revive tourism with new ‘Green Zone’ plan

The government is taking steps to prepare for the reopening of Laos to vaccinated tourists  

The Laos government has begun the groundwork for reopening the country to vaccinated tourists under its new plan, Lao Travel Green Zone.  

The Laotian Times said the reopening initiative will see Vang Vieng, Luang Prabang, and Vientiane Capital designated as “green zones” to safeguard the safety of travelers and service providers. 

Suanesavanh Vingaket, the country’s new Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism, led the Public and Private Sector Consultation Meeting on Country Reopening Plan Preparation, which gathered authorities and tourism sector stakeholders.  

According to the Lao Travel Green Zone strategy, areas marked ‘green’ must have a population of 70-80 percent vaccinated and 90-95 percent of service providers immunised.  

Conditions for vaccinated arrivals are to include a valid certificate of entry, a vaccination certificate valid at least two weeks prior to arrival, and a negative PCR test completed 72 hours prior to departing for Laos. 

Tourists would be transferred to hotels via vehicles approved under the LaoSafe certification programme, while they wait for their PCR test results.  

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Moreover, a new Contact Tracing Application is to be available to tourists called LaoStaySafe that offers information updates and monitors tourist movements.  

Visitors in the green zone will reside at hotels approved under the LaoSafe programme, while tourists traveling outside such zones would be required to use transportation and book hotels that have been certified under the programme.