Violeta and Candela are two tourists from Andalucía, a region in southern Spain. They have a multi-day itinerary in several provinces and cities in Vietnam. It is now the fourth day they have been in Sa Pa (before that, the two tourists were in Cat Ba, Hai Phong). When informed that storm No. 3 would affect their place of residence, the two tourists quickly left Cat Ba for Sa Pa. Here, the two tourists planned to travel for 2 days, then book a bus ticket back to Hanoi and fly to Hue to continue their journey to explore Vietnam. However, due to the impact of rain and floods, the two women were stuck in Sa Pa and were forced to cancel their planned itinerary.

Ms. Violeta and Candela with Director of Ahatrip VN Travel Company.

The change in itinerary affected the cost of the trip. After knowing the information, Ahatrip VN Travel Company supported the guests with free accommodation. Ms. Violate shared: We were forced to stay here longer than expected, because the weather conditions also prevented us from experiencing the beauty of this land. However, the people working in tourism here are great, they provided us with a lot of useful information. We are very grateful to have a safe place to stay during the days of flooding.

Candela confided: The storm has stopped our travel. At first, I was very discouraged, but now we feel the kindness of the tourism workers in Sa Pa, so we are happy about this meeting. During these days, we and our friends from the travel company cook for the people in difficulty, something I have never encountered in any country. We are very sad to see the suffering that the natural disaster has caused to the people here, hoping that your lives will soon return to peace.

Violeta and Candela cook with the locals.

Due to the impact of floods, many locals and tourists are "stuck" in Sa Pa and cannot move. Ahatrip VN Travel Company has posted information about its readiness to support tourists. Accordingly, from September 9, the company has supported 5 Vietnamese and 2 foreign tourists by picking them up, providing free accommodation, and informing tourists about the weather situation. At the same time, it has supported customers in working with hotels and bus companies to change or cancel their travel schedules.

Ms. Tran Huyen, Director of Ahatrip VN Travel Company said: When welcoming guests to the company, we provide free accommodation, food support, laundry area, shared kitchen area for tourists, and at the same time, cook with tourists to bring to staff and people in isolated areas. Hopefully, the company's small contribution will partly build the image of Sa Pa tourism as friendly and hospitable in the eyes of tourists and help everyone overcome difficult times.

Anh Tu Hotell is one of the units posting information to support tourists to avoid storms.

In addition to Ahatrip VN Travel, in Sa Pa, there is also O'Chau homestay in Thao Hong Den village, Muong Hoa commune, Sa Pa town, joining hands to support locals and tourists during floods. Currently, the facility is providing free food and accommodation for 15 locals and 2 foreign tourists. Ms. Thu Phong, the owner of the facility, said: During the days of floods, we do not collect money from guests. Everyone is sad and confused because of the floods, so we are very willing to help each other when we are in trouble.

Sa Pa in the rainy days.

According to information from the Department of Culture and Information of Sa Pa town, there are 369 guests staying at homestays, including 261 domestic guests and 101 foreign guests, mainly concentrated in the communes of Ta Phin, Ta Van, Muong Hoa, Hoang Lien, Thanh Binh, Ham Rong and Phan Si Pan wards. Immediately after Sa Pa was affected by storm No. 3, the Department of Culture and Information of the town reviewed the conditions to ensure safety for tourists, and at the same time proposed solutions to support tourists stuck in Sa Pa. For group guests, travel agencies will be responsible for booking pick-up and drop-off vehicles according to the schedule; for individual guests staying at places accessible by car, taxi drivers in the town will provide free support services to guests; for individual guests staying at establishments that are not accessible by car, the owners of the establishments will arrange motorbikes to take guests back to the town center when guests have a need and traffic conditions are safe. During the rainy and flood days, the units supported 2 Mexican tourists and 2 Korean tourists to move from the homestay to the central area; supported 9 domestic tourists to move to Hanoi.

Muong Hoa was severely affected by floods.

To support accommodation for guests stranded by floods, the Department of Culture and Information has called on the business community in the town to provide free accommodation for guests in need. Currently, 12 accommodation establishments and restaurants have voluntarily registered to provide free accommodation with a total of 65 rooms, ensuring accommodation for 150 people during the period from September 9 to 11, such as: Sapphire Ahatrip Travel Hotel, Old Quarter Restaurant, Bamboo Hotel, Lito Hotel, Legend home Sa Pa, O'chau homestay, Chi Pau Coffee & homestay... In addition, a number of other hotels and restaurants have also proactively posted information on free accommodation support for visitors on social networking sites.

Ms. Hoang Thi Vuong, Head of the Department of Culture and Information of Sa Pa town, said: Most travel agencies, accommodation agencies, passenger transport agencies, and tour guides at tourist destinations have complied with local regulations on ensuring the safety of tourists; proactively prepared plans to ensure the safety of human and tourist assets. In addition, during rainy and flood days, agencies do not take tourists to participate in dangerous outdoor activities after receiving local notices and proactively support tourists when needed; are ready to support refunds and cancellations of services for customers affected by natural disasters.

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