HCMC – Vietnam and Laos signed a cultural and tourism cooperation program for 2026-2030 on May 12 as the two countries strengthen tourism links and expand cultural exchanges.
The agreement was signed in Vientiane during talks between Vietnamese Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Lam Thi Phuong Thanh and Lao Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Suanesavanh Vignaket.
Both sides assessed bilateral cultural and tourism cooperation in 2021-2025 as positive despite disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Joint activities during the period ranged from cultural weeks hosted in each country to border cultural, sports and tourism festivals, art camps and international exchange programs.
Tourism cooperation remains one of the key pillars in bilateral ties, contributing to economic development and people-to-people exchanges, the two ministers noted.
Tourist flows between the two countries have recovered strongly since the pandemic. The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism said around 1.3 million Vietnamese tourists visited Laos in 2025, making Vietnam the third-largest international source market for Laos.
Lam Thi Phuong Thanh also congratulated Laos on attracting around 4.5 million international visitors during its National Tourism Year 2025 campaign.
The ministers agreed to strengthen destination connectivity and develop tourism products linked to shared cultural, heritage and ecological assets, as well as road tourism.
The two countries will continue joint tourism promotion programs and support travel businesses participating in fairs and festivals hosted in each market.
Vietnam and Laos also pledged closer coordination at multilateral forums such as ASEAN, UNESCO and UN Tourism.
