Thai tourists rank highest of tourist arrivals in Luang Prabang

(KPL) Luang Prabang has recorded over 41,300 Thai tourist arrivals so far this year, equivalent to 11.9 per cent of the entire tourist arrivals in this northern province. Tourists from England ranked the second, 7.63 per cent, and followed by those from America. France, Canada, Australia, Germany, China, Japan and Vietnam were also considered as major markets of Luang Prabang tourism.
The province scored 400,416 domestic and foreign tourist arrivals, 245,083 of these were foreign. However the province said this year 2009 saw a high increase in number of domestic tourists compared to that of foreign tourists.
“The impacts of the world’s economic crisis have decreased the number of tourists to Luang Prabang,” said early this month Deputy Head of Tourism of Luang Prabang. “If last year had seen no impact from the world’s economic crisis, threats of A (H1N1) and political unrest in a neighbouring country, the tourism in the province would have increased by 12-13 per cent over the current figures,” said Mr. Khamtanh Somphanvilay.
According to the Tourism Office of Luang Prabang, despite the decline in Western markets the province will pay more attention to markets in Asia, particularly Japan and the Republic of Korea.
Luang Prabang, the former royal capital of the Kingdom of Lane Xang, was listed as a world heritage site in 1995 by the UNESCO thanks to its marvel in traditional way of life and culture, and architectural heritage.