VIENTIANE, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Northern Laos' Luang Prabang province welcomed almost 800,000 tourists in the first nine months of 2023, an increase of 121.49 percent from the same period last year, with total spending amounting to 431 million U.S. dollars.

Lao News Agency on Tuesday quoted Director of Luang Prabang provincial Information, Culture and Tourism Department Soudaphone Khomthavong as saying that the town of Luang Prabang is a popular tourist destination for both domestic and foreign visitors, offering a variety of natural, historical, and cultural attractions.

Soudaphone said in preparation for Visit Laos Year 2024, the provincial authorities are increasing advertising and promotion of tourism through various media, improving tourism resources, and creating favorable conditions to attract more foreign tourists.

She added that the province also offers unique cultural experiences, such as traditional clothing, food, and local lifestyle which are of interest to people visiting the province.

The province expects to attract over 1 million visitors by the end of 2023 and more than 2.8 million visitors by 2024, with its outstanding natural, historical, and cultural attractions seeing footfalls from even more domestic and foreign tourists.

Luang Prabang province, some 220 km north of the Lao capital Vientiane, is one of the most well-known provinces in Laos and a top tourist destination because of its ancient temples and scenic rural landscapes.

The town of Luang Prabang was inscribed on the World Heritage list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in December 1994.

The mountainous Luang Prabang province has 228 officially designated tourist sites, of which 111 are nature-based, 78 are of cultural heritage, and 39 have historical buildings.