In order to build a civilized tourism environment, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Lao Cai province requests the People's Committees of communes and wards to strengthen management and strictly handle acts of discrimination or refusal to serve tourists.
This move was made after the Vietnamese Embassy in India had a document reflecting some negative experiences of Indian tourists in Vietnam. This information has appeared on social networks and some international media outlets, posing an urgent requirement to protect the image of the destination.
According to the direction, local authorities must proactively inspect and supervise tourism service business activities and be responsible if violations occur within their management scope.
In parallel with that, the Lao Cai Provincial Tourism Association is assigned the task of promoting propaganda and mobilizing members to strictly implement legal regulations, improve service awareness and build a professional tourism environment.
Tourism service business establishments are also required to receive and serve guests equally and politely; and at the same time improve their skills in serving international visitors. This review and rectification is considered a necessary step in the context that Lao Cai is recovering strongly and gradually expanding the international tourist market.
According to statistics, in 2025 Lao Cai welcomed about 1.46 million international visitors. Among them, China is still the largest market, followed by the Philippines, South Korea and India, market groups that play an important role in the local tourism growth.
Notably, Indian tourists are emerging as a potential segment, not only contributing to diversifying the source of international visitors but also having relatively high spending, long stays and diverse service demand. Attracting and effectively serving this market is therefore considered an important factor in improving revenue and the competitiveness of destinations.
Indian tourists often travel in groups or families, prioritizing tours combining sightseeing, relaxation and local cultural experiences. They tend to choose destinations with unique landscapes, impressive photo spaces, and have their own culinary requirements such as vegetarian menus or suitable for living habits.
These characteristics are being researched and gradually met by tourism businesses in Lao Cai. Many accommodation establishments, restaurants and services have proactively upgraded facilities, diversified products and improved service quality to better suit each group of international tourists.
In addition, human resource training, improving service skills and strengthening connections with international travel businesses are also focused on by the locality. This is considered an important foundation to improve the capacity to welcome and serve tourists in the coming period.
