With the correct policy and solution, Lao Cai tourism has affirmed the number 1 position on the Northwest tourism map, with "3 most": The largest number of visitors, visitors;  tourism revenue reaches the highest level;  attract the most investors.

The unique Bac Ha plateau horse race attracts a lot of tourists to Bac Ha.

Opening the story of tourism in Lao Cai, Director of Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ha Van Thang is proud of the achievements of Lao Cai tourism.  “The achievement is not natural, it takes a lot of time and effort, going through the process of groping, researching, selecting potentials and strengths of tourism.  Finding the direction is not finished, but must give the right and winning solution, both exploit the potential, strengths, and create a unique, branded tourism in Lao Cai for tourists to "enjoy.  tourism specialties of the province "that are not everywhere", said Mr. Ha Van Thang.

Compared to many provinces and cities throughout the country, Lao Cai is one of the localities with a great deal of potential for tourism development, the diverse terrain has created unique "specialties" for tourism development.  , as with Fansipan peak, dubbed the "Roof of Indochina", terraced fields stretching along hillsides in Sa Pa, Bat Xat, Bac Ha, Van Ban are considered masterpieces that for hundreds of years, the community  The Dao, the Mong, and La Chi have applied indigenous knowledge to reclaim land, enter irrigation and more specifically, the terraced fields in Lao Cai are recognized as such intangible cultural heritage.  Hoang Lien Sapa National Park - ASEAN Heritage Garden with a rich fauna and flora system, cool atmosphere, very favorable for tourism development and discovery.

Lao Cai is also the convergence of unique cultural features of 25 ethnic groups.  Each ethnic group has cultural characteristics, creating vivid, colorful mountainous cultural paintings.  Fair markets, special festivals always attract visitors to join the typical life style in the highland style.  Therefore, community tourism associated with the culture of the Giay, Dao, Mong, Tay, Nung and Ha Nhi ethnic groups is a prominent feature, exploited in the districts of Sa Pa, Bac Ha, Bat Xat and Si Ma  Cai, Muong Khuong and Bao Yen, especially the markets, festivals, village homestay tourism ... Ecotourism is one of the strengths of Lao Cai tourism with many attractive destinations, such as mountain resorts, Ham Rong, Silver waterfall, Cau May, Love waterfall - Golden stream (Sa Pa);  Coc Ly hydroelectric reservoir area (Bac Ha);  Den Sang and Sang Ma, Y ​​Ty (Bat Xat) old forests ... Adventure tourism conquering Fansipan peak - "Indochina roof", Ky Quan San peak (Bat Xat), Mount of parents and children (Bac Ha),  parasailing, climbing cliffs ... Spiritual tourism with a chain of temples along the Red River, such as Thuong temple, Mau temple, Doi Co temple (Lao Cai city) and Bao Ha temple (Bao Yen) connecting with Yen provinces  Bai and Phu Tho.

Lao Cai also has some other unique tourism products, such as fair tourism in Bac Ha, Si Ma Cai and Muong Khuong districts;  flower themed tours with triangular flower tours (Bac Ha, Si Ma Cai), Do Quyen flowers (Y Ty, Hoang Lien National), flower valleys (Bac Ha) ...

Many strategic investors have chosen Sa Pa National Tourist Area to invest in tourism development.  

Only with such depictions to see the potential of Lao Cai tourism and large investors came to Lao Cai with the mission of "waking the sleeping princess in the forest".  Not only that, right from the time before the establishment of the province, during a field trip in Lao Cai (in 1903) to make a map, the survey team of the Indochina Geographic Department discovered a place with beautiful scenery and  pleasant climate on Lo Suoi Tung plateau (Sa Pa plateau) in Hoang Lien Son range.  Immediately, people came up with an idea to build here a nursing camp.  However, it was not until 1909 that the Ambassador of Lao Cai Province - Toures proposed it.  Shortly thereafter, there were many articles on Sa Pa, especially the "Resort" by Hautefeuille in Indochina Magazine in 1910 with the passage: "I was completely seduced right from the trip to Sapa.  Firstly.  The road leading to Sapa runs through the area with beautiful scenery.  Two-thirds of the way through the forest with a rare beauty ... The valley between the Fansipan Range and the Sa Pa Plateau (also known as the Lo Suoi Tung Plateau) is as beautiful as the valley of the Pyrenees in Spain ... ”.

Since then, over a century, Lao Cai has received a "wave" of tourism development investment.  A series of strategic investors: SunGroup, VinGroup, Accor, The Manor Bitexco, Sa Pa Land, Truong Giang, Thien Minh ... have invested in tourism development in Lao Cai.  In particular, SunGroup has invested in the construction of Fansipan cable car system.  This is the most modern 3-wire cable car system in the world to receive the Guinness world record for 3-cable car with the difference between the world's largest departure and arrival station (1,410 m) and the longest 3-wire cable car in the world.  gender (6,292.5 m).  The time from the station to the station only takes about 15 minutes.  This helps visitors save travel time and conquer "Roof of Indochina" more favorable.

In addition, many projects on resorts, eco-tourism and community tourism have come into operation, positively impacting Lao Cai tourism activities, including Fansipan cable car entertainment area.  , Topas Ecolodge, La Dao Resort, 5-star hotels (Acord, Silk Path, Pao's Sapa).  Currently, the whole province has 1,241 accommodation establishments, with 14,838;  of which, 204 establishments were rated stars, with 5,941 accommodations;  5-star hotel has 3 facilities;  4-star hotel with 5 facilities;  3 star hotel has 9 facilities;  2 star hotel with 55 facilities;  1-star hotels with 132 establishments;  1,037 motels and 340 homestays.

With the potential, inherent strengths and the involvement of investors, the number of tourists coming to Lao Cai is increasing.  The total tourist arrivals to Lao Cai in 2018 reached 4,246,590, of which international visitors reached 718,585;  Domestic visitors reached 3,528,005 times.  The total revenue from tourism is 13,406.3 billion dong, of which the total revenue from international tourists is 4,298.3 billion dong, domestic tourists is 9.108 billion dong.  In the first 6 months of 2019, the total number of visitors to Lao Cai reached 2,905,853, of which international visitors reached 459,112, domestic visitors reached 2,446,741.  Total tourism revenue reached VND 11,255.5 billion, of which international tourist revenue reached VND 3,152.7 billion and domestic tourist revenue reached VND 8,102.8 billion.

“With a confirmed position, according to the orientation from now to 2020, Lao Cai will become a key tourist destination of the Northwest region and develop Sa Pa into a national tourist resort of international stature.  By 2030, tourism will become a breakthrough economic sector, contributing to speeding up the process of economic restructuring, poverty reduction, creating motivation for local socio-economic development ", Director of Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism – Mr.Ha Van Thang affirmed.