The main roles and responsibilities of the LNTA are as follows :

• Develop National Tourism Strategy for Lao PDR.
• Set up policy, law, degrees, rules and regulations on tourism and hotel management.
• Undertake marketing activities in order to promote tourism in Lao PDR.
• Encourage human resource development for tourism and strengthen capacity building.
• Use and monitor the Tourism Development and Promotion Fund.
• Give permission to establish tourism business, warn, fine, and cancel the operations of tour operators, hotels, guesthouses, restaurants and resources that violate the law.
• Coordinate and collaborate with related agencies and local authorities to develop and upgrade tourist attractions, to promote Lao culture and traditions as well as to conserve and preserve the heritage and the use of local products in order to improve the standard of living of local communities.
• Guide, monitor and coordinate with the Lao Association of Travel Agents, Lao Hotel and Restaurant Association and Tourism Marketing Promotion Board.
• Cooperate with sub-regional and international tourism organizations as well as international organizations related to tourism.
• Manage, control and monitor the implementation of tourism plans.
• Promulgate regulation on tourism and hotel management.
• Gather and publish tourism statistics.
• Compile information and data on tourist sites as well as classify tourist attractions into different categories.
• Set up guidelines and strategies for pro-poor tourism and ecotourism development in order to alleviate the poverty.

The main policies are as follows :  

• Implement the open-door policy on the foreign cooperation on economics and culture with foreign nation.
• Promote tourism and the tourism industry intending to improve the levels of local people’s lives and to promote the integration of local products.
• Promote the arts, cultures, and fine and courageous traditions of Laos, and preserve the ancient archeological and historical monuments aiming at motivating foreigners to visit Laos.
• Provide new occupations and create opportunities for the ethnic people to gain better incomes.
• Enhance friendship and good cooperation with all nations according to the government policies on tourism as specified.
• Implement strategies on ecotourism and community based tourism in order to alleviate the poverty.

Lao People's Democratic Republic has opened its doors to welcome toursits from every continent around the world in 1998. The tourism sector plays a significant role in the socio-economic development of the Lao PDR. Laos is blessed with overwhelming and unexploited nature pleasing every tourist who has come here.

ASEAN : "The New Tourism Landscape" is the new campaign to attract tourism. We welcome you to what Laos has to offer, development potentials of the nation entering the new century.