On July 8, Lao Cai province organized a conference to meet tourism businesses and discuss tourism development solutions for 2026 to celebrate the 66th anniversary of Vietnam Tourism Day (July 9, 1960 - July 9, 2026).
Speaking at the conference, Mr. Nong Viet Yen - Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Lao Cai province emphasized that meetings and dialogues with businesses are not only aimed at listening to and removing difficulties and obstacles in tourism investment and business activities, but also creating consensus between the government and the business community.
This is also the basis for the province to improve mechanisms and policies, effectively exploit the potential after the merger, and gradually build Lao Cai into a four-season tourist center of the country.
According to the leader of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in the new context, tourism development must not only be based on resource exploitation but must be associated with heritage preservation, cultural identity promotion, digital transformation, green economic development and ensuring harmony of interests between the State, businesses and the community.
In the first 6 months of 2026, the whole province welcomed more than 6.75 million visitors, reaching nearly 60% of the annual plan. Of which, international visitors reached over 940,000. Total revenue from tourism is estimated at more than 25,000 billion VND, equal to nearly 50% of the annual plan.
Tourism promotion and advertising work continues to be promoted through the coordination between the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Provincial Tourism Association and the business community.
At the VITM 2026 International Tourism Fair, Lao Cai had 5 typical collectives and individuals honored in the Vietnamese tourism industry. In addition, the province was awarded 7 prizes at the VITA Awards, including 4 units that are members of the Lao Cai Provincial Tourism Association.
According to Mr. Nong Viet Yen, after the merger, Lao Cai owns a large tourism development space with many famous destinations such as Sa Pa, Y Ty, Bac Ha, Nghia Do, Ban Lien, Bao Ha, Mu Cang Chai, Tram Tau, Nghia Lo, Suoi Giang, Thac Ba Lake...
This is an advantage for the province to form four-season tourism products, expand regional links and improve the competitiveness of destinations.
In the period 2026 - 2030, Lao Cai sets a goal to make tourism a key economic sector, building the locality into a four-season tourism center of the country with the brand "Where the colors of the Northwest converge".
To realize this goal, the province will focus on implementing the Tourism Development Project for the period 2026 - 2030; prioritize investment in transport infrastructure, tourism infrastructure; develop new products; promote digital transformation, develop smart tourism; improve the quality of human resources; and at the same time strengthen promotion and advertising of domestic and international tourism.
At the conference, functional sectors also recognized that tourism activities still face many difficulties and challenges. Many businesses encounter obstacles in the process of investment, site clearance, access to land, infrastructure, human resources, digital transformation and product development.
Leaders of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism requested businesses to proactively reflect difficulties from practice, share initiatives and effective models to jointly build a favorable investment environment and improve the quality of destinations.
On this occasion, the Lao Cai Provincial Tourism Association also inaugurated a new office, creating a space for connection and cooperation between businesses, contributing to building an increasingly professional, friendly and sustainable Lao Cai tourism brand.
