Growth returns after the storm
In early September 2024, Sa Pa town had to temporarily stop welcoming tourists and organizing outdoor activities to ensure the safety of tourists due to the impact of storm No. 3.
The stoppage of receiving guests has more or less affected the sightseeing activities and experiences of tourists coming to the misty land.
Sharing with Lao Dong, Mr. Duong Quoc Hieu (owner of a coffee shop in Ta Van Village, Sa Pa town) said: "Currently, Sa Pa's tourism activities are gradually recovering after storm No. 3. But the number of visitors is still mainly foreign tourists because now is the season for Western tourists."
According to Mr. Hieu, on average his shop receives about 4,000-5,000 visitors per day, about 50% of the number before the storm, but there are days when there are no customers.
The reason is that the road down to Ta Van is not yet completely open, landslides still occur so few tourists go down.
Mr. Nguyen Trung Kien, Manager of Cat Cat tourist area, informed that the activities of welcoming tourists to Cat Cat village are now starting to recover. The number of visitors is gradually increasing thanks to the town's many solutions to promote and attract tourists.
“The recent storm No. 3 affected Sa Pa town significantly. Many people died and were injured, and tourist reception activities had to be temporarily suspended to ensure safety. But now, basically all tourist facilities have reopened,” Mr. Kien added.
After storm No. 3, road DH92 from Sa Pa town center to the village was eroded, but the authorities quickly fixed it. Construction works along both sides of the stream in the village were not much affected.
According to Mr. To Ngoc Lien, Chairman of Sa Pa Town People's Committee, Sa Pa's viewpoint is to both overcome the consequences of storm No. 3 and focus on rebuilding and restoring socio-economic development, especially tourism.
“Up to now, it can be confirmed that passenger, tourist and transport vehicles have reached the commune centers with accommodation facilities. Food and beverage services have resumed. However, there are still 2 landslides and subsidence points with large amounts of soil and rock in the area. We are coordinating with the Road Maintenance Board of the Lao Cai Provincial Department of Transport to complete the handling and soon open the provincial road,” Mr. Lien shared.
According to information from the Lao Cai Department of Tourism, in September, tourist establishments in the province generated almost no revenue, all tours this month were canceled, leaving only individual guests.
According to preliminary statistics, the total direct damage to the tourism industry is about 15 billion VND. Storm No. 3 has affected the development goals of the tourism industry in the province.
It is estimated that from now until the end of the year, Lao Cai will welcome about 7.5 million visitors, a decrease of 1 million compared to the initial target of 8.5 million visitors.
Many activities to stimulate tourism
On September 30, speaking with Lao Dong, Ms. Hoang Thi Vuong - Head of the Department of Culture and Information of Sa Pa town - said: "Storm No. 3 has significantly affected the traffic infrastructure, making it difficult for tourists to travel. However, tourism and service businesses in the area have not been affected too much."
This time, local tourism activities have not been able to recover to the level before the storm. Residents, tourists and travel agencies are still worried about prolonged thunderstorms and the aftermath of dangerous landslides.
“We plan to organize activities in October such as: Dao Cultural Heritage Road in Ta Phin to introduce intangible cultural products of the Dao ethnic group, restore the model associated with preserving Giay culture in Ta Van to serve tourists,” said Ms. Hoang Thi Vuong.
According to the Head of the Department of Culture and Information of Sa Pa town, the number of tourists coming to Sa Pa town is currently about 70% compared to before the storm. The department has advised and proposed a tourism stimulus program for the town and is waiting for the departments to review it.
At the same time, the locality also urgently repaired damage to infrastructure, especially the traffic system connecting to tourist attractions in the area.
“This October, the locality will complete tourism products. From November onwards, all activities will return to normal,” Ms. Hoang Thi Vuong affirmed.
