10:06:04 AM | 23/7/2014
Lao Cai province is endowed with a lot of favourable resources for tourism development. In recent years, the tourism sector of Lao Cai province has witnessed impressive progress in tourist arrivals, revenue and product diversity. The service quality is also improved and many tourist destinations have become very popular. In 2012, Sa Pa was named one of the five most favourite destinations in Vietnam and had the most beautiful walking route on the planet, voted by overseas visitors. Sa Pa terraced fields were voted as one of the seven most beautiful, magnificent terraced fields in Asia and the world and Bac Ha Market was also named one of the 10 most attractive markets in Southeast Asia. Travel and Leisure Travel Magazine, based in the US, also voted Sa Pa one of the 10 most attractive tourist destinations in Southeast Asia.
In the first six months of 2014, although the Vietnam tourism sector was adversely affected by political instability in the region and tensions with China in the East Sea, tourism business in Lao Cai still achieved positive growth. The province welcomed 801,173 tourists in the January-June period, fulfilling 57.2 percent of the full-year plan and seeing an on-year growth of 25.1 percent. The six-month revenue was estimated at VND1,775 billion, equal to 57 percent of the yearly plan and up 37 percent year on year.
To further promote typical tourism products, the Lao Cai Tourism Steering Committee recently hosted a press conference in Hanoi City to introduce new tourism products and tourism stimulus programme for the last six months of 2014 and subsequent years. The programme aims to provide information for press agencies and stakeholders about the status of Lao Cai tourism, new tourism products and typical tourism events of the province, especially sales programmes in 2014 and beyond for tourists in Lao Cai.
The tourism stimulus programme comprises a lot of attractive products and events, including the opening of the Phu Tho - Yen Bai - Lao Cai spiritual tourist route along the Red River on August 10, the flower festival and street festival in Sa Pa on September 6, the International Marathon Tournament on September 20-21 with over 540 international athletes from 40 countries around the world, the announcement of the opening of eight new thematic tours on September 5, the propaganda award ceremony for journalists at central and local media agencies on November 1, the launch of Golden Spoon Award for chefs organised by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in cooperation with Minh Long Co., Ltd on September 8 in Sa Pa.
At the press conference Mr Dang Xuan Thanh, Deputy Chairman of Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee, said, in addition to the introduction of new special tourism products, the deployment of stimulus packages with attractive travel tourism discounts (at least 30 percent of food, recreation and leisure services and free sightseeing), Lao Cai province is taking steps to seize huge opportunities of infrastructure development when Noi Bai - Lao Cai Expressway to be open in September 2014, the planning of Lao Cai Airport and Lao Cai Golf Course in Bat Xat district, and especially a series of 5-star hotels in Sa Pa Town and Lao Cai City to be officially opened in 2014.
Thanh Nga