Laos will step up the campaign to encourage Lao people to travel within the country to revive the tourism industry and its economy in the context that the government has eased restrictive measures to gradually normalise the situation.
Lao people are encouraged to travel within the country to revive the tourism industry. (Photo: VNA/AFP)
Vientiane (VNA) - Laos will step up the campaign to encourageLao people to travel within the country to revive the tourism industry and itseconomy in the context that the government has eased restrictive measures to gradually normalisethe situation.
The Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism said thatif the COVID-19 pandemic situation in the country continues its positive trend,it will launch initiatives to attract both domestic and foreign tourists, whileensuring disease prevention and not increasing the number of new infections.
Laos has set a target of welcoming more than 1 million touristsand generating more than 271 million USD in revenue this year.
In related news,the Lao Ministry of Health (MoH) hasasked health workers across the country to be wary of the Omicron variant afterthree Lao citizens returning from Thailand were found contracted with the virus.
The cases were detected when health authorities randomly conducted 25 samplestaken at hospitals in six provinces and cities across the country, while theremaining 22 samples were positive for the Delta variant.
According to the ministry, although no case of Omicroninfection has been found in the community, the country has detected 25imported cases of this variant. It urged people not to assume that the Omicronvariant is not as dangerous as other variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The MoH said onFebruary 14 that the number of COVID-19 cases recorded in the country in thepast 24 hours continued to drop with only 216 infections, down 47🎐 casescompared to the previous day. To d💧ate, thetotal caseload in Laos reached 139,244, including 597deaths./.
Laos and Cambodia have pledged to strengthen tourism cooperation and to continue to promote tourism with an emphasis on safe travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Office of the Lao Prime Minister on January 20 asked authorities to consider loosening several COVID-19 prevention and control measures, including entry restrictions.
The Lao National Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control has urged people to take their children and other relatives to health facilities to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible, so as to reduce serious illness and deaths caused by the disease.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
Efforts to empower women must transcend dialogue and translate into concrete commitments, including corporate pledges and government partnerships, according to the spouse of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The forum featured two in-depth discussion sessions, engaging representatives from governments, think tanks, and businesses from both ASEAN and China, on how to forge closer ties for a common future.
The new FIFA Hub in Jakarta will not only support football development in Indonesia but also serve as a coordination centre for 21 football associations across Southeast and East Asia.
Minister Counselor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen reaffirmed Vietnam’s principled and consistent stance on the Palestine issue, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire across the entire Gaza Strip.
PM Anwar Ibrahim affirmed the determination of Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair for 2025, to utilise all viable regional mechanisms of the bloc and work with partners to de-escalate violence and restore a peace process led by Myanmar.
Talking to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Vietnam’s Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925–2025), Nikulina, who is also a veteran journalist of Russia’s Sputnik News, emphasised the vital role of mainstream journalism in defending the truth and maintaining public trust.
The Ministry of Commerce reported that imports also rose 18% to 29.9 billion USD during the same period, resulting in a trade surplus of 1.1 billion USD. In May alone, Thailand posted a 4.6 billion USD trade surplus with the US and a 4.1 billion USD trade deficit with China.
The World Bank will provide a 2.1 billion USD financing package for Indonesia, focusing oncreating jobs, stimulating economic growth, and enhancing access to clean energy across the country.
Member states also reviewed progress on six priority areas for 2025, including the development of an underground cable framework, the follow-up agreement to the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement (APSA), the launch of the ASEAN Energy Efficiency Database, and the rollout of an investment platform for sustainable building initiatives.
In March, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra met with Formula 1 chief Stefano Domenicali and said Thailand would commission a feasibility study into hosting a Grand Prix on a Bangkok street circuit from 2028.
The proposed giant sea wall aligns with bilateral cooperation and has been designated a national priority, considering that several regions in Indonesia are experiencing land subsidence of 10–15 centimetres per year.
International flights were cancelled including Jetstar and Virgin Australia flights to cities across Australia, and flights of Air India, Air New Zealand, Singapore's TigerAir and China's Juneyao Airlines.
The partnership aims to strengthen collaboration in the exploration and exploitation of mineral resources, including gold, copper, and manganese, as well as in the development of steel, aluminum, and renewable energy industries.
The Thai cabinet has approved a seven-year EV bus leasing scheme proposed by the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) for the capital, with an estimated cost of 15.35 billion THB (over 470 million USD).
Aircraft are prohibited from flying below 6,000 metres in the vicinity of the volcano, and should also remain alert to the presence of volcanic ash, which can disrupt flights.
Laos declared the transfer of the press management functions of five key media agencies and associated personnel to the Propaganda and Training Board of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee.
Lao people are encouraged to travel within the country to revive the tourism industry. (Photo: VNA/AFP) 
