To mark World Tourism Day on September 27, our colleagues in Laos share more about MAG's Visitor Centres and why tourism, beyond a traveller's own experience, can have a life-changing effect locally.
Laos is known for its temples and beautiful landscapes, but there is another story that travellers rarely see at first glance. The country is the most heavily bombed per capita in history. During the Second Indochina War from 1964 to 1973, the U.S. dropped more than 2.5 million tons of explosive ordnance, of which an estimated 30% did not detonate and still contaminate farmland and villages today.
MAG’s Visitor Information Centres in Vientiane and Phonsavanh give travellers the chance to understand this history and its impact on daily life. Through exhibitions, short films, and personal stories, visitors learn how UXO affects communities and how clearance makes land safe for farming, schools, and development.
This year’s World Tourism Day is held under the theme “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation.” The idea behind the theme is clear: tourism should not only enrich the traveller’s experience but also contribute to lasting change for local communities.
The Visitor Centres reflect this in two ways.
First, they create spaces where international visitors can learn, reflect, and engage with a critical issue that continues to shape life in Laos.
Second, donations and proceeds from items such as postcards and t-shirts directly support MAG’s clearance operations. Making land safe is the foundation for any form of sustainable transformation, whether that is building schools, planting crops, or developing community infrastructure.
Visitors often describe the centres as eye-opening. One traveller called the Vientiane centre “extremely moving and informative… If you go to one museum in Vientiane, go to this one. A must-see.” Another reflected that “the stories, the visuals, the mission—so powerful.”
These impressions underline how the centres leave a lasting impact, offering a deeper understanding of Laos beyond the usual tourist trail.
Among the stories brought to life is that of a grandfather from Xieng Khouang, who once found a bomb lying on the road. He ignored it until his nine-year-old grandson tried to dig it out. Shocked, he contacted MAG, who safely removed and destroyed the device. “Now I feel relieved and very happy,” he said. “People who use this road every day are safe, including my family.”
This account, like many others, is also shared on the centres’ Instagram, where visitors can follow more voices and experiences from communities affected by UXO.
For travellers, visiting a MAG centre is more than a museum stop—it’s a chance to learn, connect, and contribute to a safer future in Laos.
To learn more about MAG's Visitor Centres, click here.
