Lao Cai Unlocks New Opportunities for Tourism Expansion
In recent years, the Lao Cai tourism brand has
gradually gained recognition on the national and
international tourism map with its unique appeal and
many outstanding destinations honored by prestigious
international organizations.
To achieve the goal of making tourism a key and
breakthrough economic sector by 2030, Lao Cai is
stepping up efforts to attract investment and upgrade
tourism infrastructure and technical facilities to
exploit and develop new key tourism areas, destinations,
and regions.
Sa Pa - a key growth engine
With a rich history spanning over 120 years on the
tourism map, Sa Pa is making a strong breakthrough to
become a world-class tourism service center. Over the
past 10 years (2016-2026), the growth of Sa Pa tourism
has not just been a simple upward trend, but a complete
transformation in status and revenue. While the
milestone of nearly 1 million visitors in 2016 was
considered a miracle, the figure for 2025 truly
demonstrates Sa Pa's unlimited appeal. The number of
visitors reached a record high of over 4.3 million - a
4-5 fold increase in a decade. Sa Pa's tourism revenue
reached 19,000 billion VND, 11 times higher than a
decade earlier.
The recognition and affection that domestic and
international tourists have for Sa Pa largely stems from
the effective application of the strategic thinking of
"transforming heritage into assets," combined with
trillions of dong invested in infrastructure, in the
spirit of harmoniously combining majestic natural
landscapes, world-class architecture, and local cultural
values that are properly honored.
In the journey of transforming the face of Sa Pa, the
role of strategic investors, including Sun World
Fansipan Legend, cannot be overlooked. For many
consecutive years, Sun World Fansipan Legend has been
honored by the World Travel Awards (WTA) - an award
dubbed the "Oscar of the world tourism industry - with
titles such as: "World’s Leading Cultural Destination",
"World’s Leading Natural Scenic Destination", and
"Asia’s Leading Destination".
Mr. Nguyen Anh Vu, Deputy Director of Fansipan Sa Pa
Cable Car Tourism Service Co., Ltd. - Sun World Fansipan
Sa Pa Branch, said: "Thanks to the consensus and close
cooperation of the government, we have been able to
realize iconic projects such as the Fansipan cable car -
the first cable car in Vietnam to set two Guinness World
Records, contributing to making Sa Pa one of the
fastest-growing destinations in Asia."
Identifying tourism as a key economic sector, Lao Cai
aims to welcome approximately 15 million tourists by
2030, contributing over 20% to the province's GRDP. In
this plan, Sa Pa continues to play a core growth pole
role with many key projects and initiatives being
activated.
For example, the recent EcoSapa project, covering
approximately 29.3 hectares with a total investment of
over 2,400 billion VND, is being officially launched by
Hong Phong Investment and Development Co., Ltd. and
Ecopark Hai Duong Investment Joint Stock Company. The
project aims to create a green living space that
harmonizes with the natural hilly terrain, while
preserving and integrating the distinctive landscape of
the O Long tea hills and the local ecosystem into the
overall development.
According to To Ngoc Lien, Secretary of the Party
Committee of Sa Pa ward, the locality is determining the
planning boundaries and mobilizing resources to invest
in internal infrastructure connections; at the same
time, it is proposing that the province call for
large-scale projects with synchronized infrastructure to
welcome large groups of tourists, serving the
orientation of smart, sustainable and distinctive
development.
Opening the way to unlock tourism potential
Lao Cai aims for an average annual tourism growth rate
of 20% by 2030; to welcome 15 million tourists; and to
achieve total tourism revenue of 70,000 billion VND,
contributing directly 17% to 20% of the province's GRDP.
To achieve this goal, Lao Cai is promoting investment
and upgrading tourism infrastructure and facilities.
Y Ty commune is poised for significant tourism
development in the coming period as infrastructure
bottlenecks in the area and surrounding regions are
resolved. In early 2026, after a long wait, the project
connecting Ban Xeo - Den Sang - Y Ty and the investment
project to build the Y Ty tourism sub-area within the Sa
Pa National Tourist Area were completed, much to the joy
and excitement of the local people and tourists.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Tinh (a tourist from Phu Tho province)
and her family chose Y Ty as their destination for
sightseeing and relaxation during the recent April 30th
holiday. Ms. Tinh said that she had heard the road to Y
Ty was now beautifully paved, so she decided to choose
it as her destination. "Now, the travel time from Lao
Cai ward to Y Ty commune is only about 2 hours, making
transportation faster and more convenient, and reducing
fatigue for travelers."
During this year's April 30th - May 1st holiday, Y Ty
commune still welcomed nearly 4,000 tourists, with an
increased length of stay compared to previous years.
According to the Chairman of the People's Committee of Y
Ty commune, Nguyen Van Tai, Y Ty has great potential in
agriculture and tourism. These are also two key areas in
economic development and improving the lives of the
people. However, difficulties in connecting
transportation infrastructure have prevented these
strengths from being fully exploited. "In the near
future, Y Ty will invest in and upgrade the main village
and inter-village roads connecting to this main road to
create a complete transportation network," Mr. Nguyen
Van Tai added.
Currently, Lao Cai has approximately 106 projects
attracting investment for tourism development in the
2026-2030 period. Regarding transportation
infrastructure, the province is focusing on mobilizing
and attracting resources to invest in the construction
of Sa Pa Airport, regional and inter-regional connecting
roads, especially those connecting within the province's
tourism development area. Lao Cai is investing in a road
connecting the Noi Bai - Lao Cai expressway to the Y Ty
tourist area; expanding the Noi Bai - Lao Cai expressway
to ensure seamless connectivity from Hanoi to the Sa Pa
tourist center; and linking Mu Cang Chai with Sa Pa,
creating a unique "heritage route" connecting the two
famous terraced rice fields, forming a closely connected
network between Son La, Lai Chau, Tuyen Quang, and Lao
Cai provinces via the Noi Bai - Lao Cai expressway.
Regarding tourism infrastructure, Lao Cai province
prioritizes investment in building a synchronous and
modern tourism infrastructure with strong linkages. This
includes prioritizing the development of environmentally
friendly hiking trails (mountain climbing, trekking),
professional off-road racing tracks, and paragliding
sites; constructing supporting tourism facilities along
the routes, including scenic viewpoints, parking lots,
signage systems, and standard restrooms; and upgrading
transportation systems connecting tourist destinations,
as well as providing clean water, electricity, and roads
for community tourism sites.
Key projects and initiatives being activated in the
locality promise to help improve the quality of
services, expand development opportunities, and thereby
solidify Lao Cai's position as a leading tourist
destination both domestically and internationally.
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