Lao Cai strives to be a tourist center with many unique and attractive types of tourism.

Located in an important strategic position, throughout history, Lao Cai has always been considered a "fence" firmly protecting the Northwestern border of the Fatherland. With its special geographical location, majestic and beautiful natural landscape, heroic history, diverse and unique ethnic culture, friendly and hospitable people, Lao Cai has been changing day by day with strong breakthroughs and transformations in all fields.

Director of Lao Cai Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nong Viet Yen.

Fully qualified to become a national tourist center

After the merger, Lao Cai tourism was "restructured in development space", becoming a new growth pole and fully converging the conditions to develop into a national tourism center and the most colorful destination in the region and the world with the position of a spearhead economic sector, a pillar for green economic development, cultural preservation and sustainable livelihood creation for the people. The current picture gives us confidence in those things!

Noi Bai - Lao Cai Expressway from IC18 intersection to Kim Thanh border gate.

About traffic: Lao Cai is the only province in the Northwest region that converges all types of transportation: road, rail, waterway and in the future, air. The favorable location has connected many tours from China through Lao Cai deep into Vietnam and to ASEAN countries. Many key routes are being started, opening up many convenient connections with other famous tourist destinations.

O Quy Ho Pass - one of the longest and most majestic passes in Vietnam.

About tourism resources: Lao Cai possesses a particularly rich tourism resource system, diverse in types, outstanding in identity, unique in landscape. With the largest number of intangible cultural heritages in the country; the presence of a system of famous sacred temples and pagodas along the Red River; along with the most diverse climate, biosphere, hot springs, terrain... in the northern mountainous region, it has created a complete, connected and supportive tourism ecosystem, capable of meeting modern tourism trends, with green experiences, exploring indigenous culture, spiritual culture, high-quality resorts and community tourism.

About the highlights

Lao Cai is world-famous for the Sa Pa National Tourist Area, which has been voted by many international travel magazines as one of the most beautiful small towns in the world in 2023 and the top trending destination in the world in 2024; the special national landscape of Mu Cang Chai terraced fields entered the top "Most colorful places in the world" voted by CN Traveler Magazine in 2022 and is a place of surreal beauty in 2024 voted by the travel website Wanderlust Stotytellers. In addition, recently, community tourism associated with cultural and agricultural experiences in Lao Cai has had great attraction with new and unique highlights, such as: the brilliant community beauty of the core area of ​​Xoè Thai Art in Muong Lo - Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity; the pristine beauty of the Bac Ha white plateau, Y Ty cloud village, Cat Cat ancient village, Lam Thuong slow-living valley, Tay Nghia Do village, etc.

Paragliding "Flying over the golden season"

The connections of the four brilliant seasons of Lao Cai's nature combined with year-round experiences from cultural and religious tourism have created unique high-end resort tourism and community tourism products, bearing the unique identity of Lao Cai, creating a colorful, vibrant and emotional picture for Lao Cai tourism to confidently be "The place where the colors of the Northwest converge".

Located at an altitude of over 1,500 meters, Sapa impresses visitors with its cool climate and majestic mountain scenery.

However, we need to look at the actual difficulties to come up with key and effective solutions. The quality of tourism services in general has not met expectations, especially for international tourists. Short length of stay of visitors, low economic spillover . The transportation system to access natural resources has many difficulties. Promotion and advertising work is still unprofessional, resources are limited and lack effective international market access strategies. Human resources in the tourism industry are still lacking, especially high-quality human resources. Key tourism products are facing difficulties in renewing and it is time to restructure. Digital transformation in tourism has not kept up with development requirements. In particular, the risk of overload, seriously affecting the landscape, ecological environment and indigenous culture has appeared, making it difficult for efforts to preserve the core values of the province.

Bach Moc Luong Tu, one of the highest peaks in Vietnam. From the top of the mountain, visitors can admire the view of white clouds floating across the Hoang Lien Son mountain range.

In particular, facing new requirements and new aspirations for a strongly developing economic sector from the harmony between fast and sustainable factors, green and high-quality factors, the demands for balance between economy - culture - society in tourism pose a problem that needs a systematic, strategic, synchronous and focused solution.

From the perspective of market trends, with a high level of political readiness and determination, I would like to present a number of key tasks and solutions to contribute to the successful implementation of the goal of turning Lao Cai into a national tourism center, while affirming the correct vision of Lao Cai's tourism position as determined by the Resolution.

Sun World Fansipan Legend - home to Bao An Pagoda and the large Buddha statue, is a perfect combination of tourism, culture and spirituality.

Firstly, unify thinking and perception. To achieve important breakthroughs, it is necessary to promote the strongest point that Lao Cai province has, which is the unity and consensus of the entire political system, businesses and people in tourism development, aiming to "turn heritage into assets", "turn cultural resources and natural resources into tourism resources". Building and clearly positioning the Lao Cai tourism brand towards perfecting the green and sustainable tourism ecosystem according to the value chain associated with improving the happiness index of the people, creating a unique image and destination "Lao Cai - Where the colors of the Northwest converge".

Second, focus on planning and policies. Develop and effectively implement plans, projects, and develop tourism in a comprehensive, synchronous, sustainable, focused, and key direction, associated with concretization into annual action programs and inter-sectoral plans, recognizing tourism development as not only a single economic sector but a comprehensive value system. It is necessary to review and re-plan functional areas and core value axes, promote general planning and zoning planning, and detailed planning for Mu Cang Chai National Tourism Area and Thac Ba Lake...; continue to plan for sustainable development of Sa Pa International Tourism Area. Proactively respond to climate change, enhance technology and green planning in tourism infrastructure and service development. At the same time, pay special attention to investing in and improving tourism infrastructure, especially inter-regional and transnational transport infrastructure.

Y Ty Commune - a destination for tourists to admire the natural landscape and unique culture of the highland people

Third, creative breakthroughs on technology. Identifying one of the breakthroughs that needs to be implemented immediately is digital transformation in tourism. The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has proposed the initiative "Building a digital tourism ecosystem to promote the digital economy of Lao Cai province" with the support of the Tourism Information Center, National Tourism Administration with many solutions to link digital transformation of tourism with promoting the digital economy, promoting high technology criteria, wide access, cost-effectiveness and multi-platform connectivity. We hope that in the coming time, the solution will receive attention, resources will be allocated for implementation, and will contribute positively to the task of developing tourism in the province.

Fourth, unique tourism products. It is necessary to develop tourism products based on a harmonious connection between preservation and development, between "convenient living" and "green living", between "urban tourism" and "cultural experience centers"... In which, taking cultural tourism as the foundation; high-quality resort tourism as the main product; community tourism, agricultural tourism as sustainable livelihoods; digital transformation of tourism as the lever. Determine to take the experience of tourists as the center but local people must be the subject of cultural and tourism events and festivals to arouse the pride of each Lao Cai resident. Build the image of Lao Cai people as friendly and hospitable; Lao Cai cultural tourism products are unique and full of emotions. At the same time, regularly research the market, renew products to meet the trends and expectations of domestic and international tourists. Promote the development of Net Zero tourism associated with green transformation and climate change adaptation.

Bac Ha market

Fifth, consider human resources as strategy. Training and retraining of tourism human resources, from managers, tour guides, to people working in community tourism, must become a long-term strategy. It is necessary to add tourism jobs to specialized departments at the commune level; have specific policies to attract and train human resources, especially high-quality human resources for the tourism industry, and at the same time allocate resources and assign tasks to training institutions within the province in developing programs, innovating methods, and identifying the focus of high-quality tourism vocational training.

Sixth, promotion is the key step . It is necessary to focus on investing resources in a strategy of close regional linkages domestically and internationally, helping Lao Cai become an important link in the Northern tourism chain, a "must-see" place. At the same time, focus on creative marketing and social media, maximize the application of digital technology achievements, AI, virtual reality experiences, expand multi-platform access; develop a system of KOLs, Lao Cai Tourism Ambassadors with clear incentive mechanisms; organize multinational connection events, unique Lao Cai tourism product events in key markets. Thereby optimizing the effectiveness of attracting visitors, creating a new breeze of tourism brands, strongly spreading the image of Lao Cai tourism in the new era.

Lao Cai International Border Gate

It can be affirmed that Lao Cai possesses the most abundant tourism resources in the country, but to have practical, effective and synchronous solutions to build Lao Cai into a tourism center of the country, it is not only necessary to have professional solutions but also need special attention and synchronous participation of the entire political system, businesses and people in the direction of "Determining the right destination - Unblocking the right bottleneck - Investing correctly". focus - Development in depth".

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/la-cai-phan-dau-la-trung-tam-du-lich-voi-nhieu-loai-hinh-dac-sac-hap-dan-10388435.html