VIENTIANE, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The number of visitors from South Korea to Laos increased by 176,821 or 10.2 percent in 2019, compared to the figure recorded in 2018.
There had been a sharp rise in the number of South Korean tourists, especially during the high season starting in October, local daily Vientiane Times on Friday quoted South Korean Ambassador to Laos Shin Sung-soon as saying.
Given this trend, it was most probable that the total number of South Korean visitors to Laos in 2019 would be the largest ever at almost 200,000.
The ambassador pointed out that there were five direct flights connecting South Korea and Laos at the start of 2019. Nowadays, six daily direct flights connect South Korea's Seoul, Busan, and Daegu to Laos.
He attributed this trend to the Lao government's extended visa exemption period from 15 to 30 days. It is also due to the high visibility of Laos in South Korea, owing to the recent high-level exchanges by South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith.
The year of 2020, which marks the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, will see various cultural events and the strongest-ever people-to-people exchanges.
