Lai Chau central square will serve as both the starting and finishing point for all race distances at the second Marathon. (Photo: baophapluat.vn)
According to Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, Tong Thanh Hai, the Culture and Tourism Week and the marathon will be rescheduled to November 28-30, instead of the originally planned October 3-5.
The 2025 Culture and Tourism Week will feature a variety of activities, including traditional costume shows of Lai Chau’s ethnic groups and a cross-border cultural exchange with performing troupes from Jinping (China), Luang Prabang Province (Laos), and Lai Chau Province (Vietnam).
A highlight of the week is the second Lai Chau Marathon, which will bring together more than 1,500 domestic and international runners competing across distances of 1.2 km, 3 km, 5.6 km, 10 km, 21 km, and 42 km.
The series of events aims to promote the preservation of local cultural identity while linking it with sustainable tourism development. Organisers hope the festival will encourage visitors to discover Lai Chau’s unspoiled beauty and experience the serenity of the northwest highlands.
Tourism performance in Lai Chau has shown positive growth. Figures from the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism indicate that in the first nine months of 2025, the province welcomed nearly 1.25 million visitors, including over 22,000 international arrivals, up 14 per cent year-on-year and achieving 84.7 per cent of the annual plan. Tourism revenue reached VND 1.085 trillion (nearly USD 41.2 million) , an increase of 19 per cent compared to the same period in 2024, meeting 90 per cent of the yearly target.
Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Tran Quang Khang, noted that Lai Chau is stepping up efforts to promote its tourism potential and signature products while strengthening cooperation with other provinces and international partners. Such initiatives are expected to create opportunities for travel companies to expand markets and develop new tours to the province.
He said in order to reach the goal of more than 1.47 million visitors and over VND 1.2 trillion (more than USD 45.5 million) in tourism revenue this year, Lai Chau is focusing resources on enhancing existing products, developing new experiential offerings, and making the northwest journey more appealing.
The Culture and Tourism Week and the second Lai Chau Marathon 2025 are expected to provide fresh momentum for the sector to achieve its targeted growth of 8.5 per cent over 2024.
