Nestled deep in a Mekong River valley, Luang Prabang was cut-off from the outside world by decades of war and political isolation. A fusion of traditional Lao dwellings, French colonial architecture and more than 30 monasteries, the whole town was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995. The United Nations agency described it as "the best preserved city of Southeast Asia."

That put Luang Prabang on the tourist map and since then the number of visitors to the town has soared from just a few thousand in 1995 to over 300,000 today.

With property prices rising on the back of the tourist influx, many local people sold their properties to outside developers who turned them into internet cafes, restaurants and guesthouses.

But while tourism is generating income and jobs, some residents are worried that the town is in danger of losing its identity.

And while the global economic crisis could reduce those numbers in the short term, experts say that the numbers of visitors to Luang Prabang will continue to grow over time.