Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Laos

Laos: Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes was 4.10 million trips in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
4.10 million trips
Change on year
up 10.9%
World rank
41st
of 179 countries
All-time high
4.41 million trips
in 2015
All-time low
266,000 trips
in 1996
Years of data
21
1996–2019

Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Laos, 1996–2019

01.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M1996200720191996: 266.0k trips1997: 334.0k trips1998: 360.0k trips2001: 594.0k trips2003: 547.0k trips2004: 841.0k trips2005: 1.0M trips2006: 996.0k trips2007: 1.4M trips2008: 1.5M trips2009: 1.7M trips2010: 2.1M trips2011: 2.6M trips2012: 3.1M trips2013: 3.5M trips2014: 3.9M trips2015: 4.4M trips2016: 3.8M trips2017: 3.2M trips2018: 3.7M trips2019: 4.1M trips

Source: UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in trips.

Analysis

In 2019, arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Laos stood at 4.10 million trips.

That represents a change of up 10.9% on the previous year and up 140.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Laos peaked at 4.41 million trips in 2015 and was at its lowest, 266,000 trips, in 1996.

That places Laos 41st out of 179 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 320,000 trips 266,000 trips 360,000 trips 3
2000s 1.08 million trips 547,000 trips 1.71 million trips 8
2010s 3.43 million trips 2.06 million trips 4.41 million trips 10

Countries ranked near Laos

  1. 38 Georgia 4.74 million trips compare
  2. 39 Slovenia 4.65 million trips compare
  3. 40 Belarus 4.19 million trips compare
  4. 42 Jordan 3.94 million trips compare
  5. 43 Norway 3.87 million trips compare
  6. 44 Kazakhstan 3.79 million trips compare

See the full ranking of 179 places →

More reference data data for Laos

All data for Laos →

Frequently asked questions

What is arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Laos?
Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Laos was 4.10 million trips in 2019, according to UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes recorded in Laos?
The highest recorded value was 4.41 million trips in 2015.
What is the lowest arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes recorded in Laos?
The lowest recorded value was 266,000 trips in 1996.
How does Laos rank for arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes?
Laos ranks 41st out of 179 countries with data for 2019.
Is arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes rising or falling in Laos?
Over the last ten years it is up 140.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Laos data come from?
The figures come from UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes
Unit
trips
Source
UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
179 places, 4,054 data points, 1995–2024
Last refreshed

Number of international trips where the main purpose is personal (leisure, visiting friends and relatives, health, etc.) and the visitor stays overnight.