Lao Cai welcomes its first group of tourists to "inaugurate" the province.
On the morning of January 1st, 2026, at the main hall of Lao Cai Railway Station, the People's Committee of Lao Cai Ward, in coordination with relevant units, organized a program to welcome the first international delegation to "inaugurate" the locality. The event aimed to build a friendly and civilized tourism image and create a favorable start to the new year.
Train SP3 brought 381 passengers into the station.
At exactly 5:55 AM, train SP3 brought 381 passengers into the station, 80% of whom were international travelers from the UK, France, India, South Korea, and Australia.
The first passengers disembarked from the ship.
Tourists were surprised by the welcome on New Year's Day.
The train had 80% foreign tourists.
For Lao Cai ward, welcoming the first visitors holds immense significance, both spiritually and in terms of reflecting the local community's aspirations for development.
In 2026, Lao Cai ward aims to welcome 1.6 - 2 million visitors, striving to reach 500,000 visitors during the first four days of the Lunar New Year holiday alone.
To make this a reality, from the beginning of the year, accommodation and service establishments in the area have been ready to cooperate with the tourism industry to provide services.
The visitors were delighted with the welcome from Lao Cai.
Sharing the local development plan, Mr. Nguyen Van Nhat, Chairman of the People's Committee of Lao Cai Ward, said: "Welcoming the first group of visitors is of great significance, both spiritually and in line with the ward's aspiration to achieve the goal of becoming a tourism and service ward and an economic growth hub of Lao Cai province in 2026."
Raise a glass to the new year.
The goals set by Lao Cai ward are set in the context of the positive results achieved by Lao Cai's tourism sector in the past year: the total number of visitors to Lao Cai reached over 11 million, and total tourism revenue reached over 51 trillion VND.
In particular, in 2025, the province welcomed nearly 1.5 million international visitors, almost double the number in 2019 - the period before the Covid-19 pandemic.
With thorough and meticulous preparation, along with the concerted efforts of all levels, sectors, the business community, and local people, the tourism industry in Lao Cai is fully confident that it will achieve and surpass the targets set for 2026. Accordingly, the entire province aims to welcome approximately 11.3 million visitors, including 1.8 - 2 million international visitors.
Mr. JEOFFY and his family.
Mr. Tran Son Binh, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the province, affirmed: "Although these are high goals, with determination and enthusiasm from the beginning of the year, we are completely confident and hopeful that these goals will be realized."
The program, though simple, was heartwarming and left a deep impression on visitors, raising hopes for a prosperous year for tourism in Lao Cai ward in particular and the entire province in general.
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