At a meeting on June 15, local authorities reviewed plans for several major events, including the first Lao Cai Sports Games, scheduled to open on September 18 at Cam Duong Multi-purpose Arena.
The province is also set to host the National Ethnic Women's Football Tournament in August and the international cycling race "One Race, Two Countries", linking Lao Cai in Vietnam with Honghe in China, in December.
On the cultural front, the Muong Lo Tourism Festival is expected to take place in late September to mark the fifth anniversary of Thai Xoe dance being recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Other events planned for the remainder of the year include the Shan Tuyet Tea and Brocade Festival during the National Day holiday, the Mong Khen Festival and the To Day Flower Festival in Mu Cang Chai.
Vu Thi Hien Hanh, vice chairwoman of the Lao Cai People's Committee, called on relevant agencies to accelerate preparations and clearly assign responsibilities to ensure the events are organised effectively.
She also instructed tourism and cultural authorities to inspect and upgrade facilities serving the Muong Lo Tourism Festival, including improvements to Muong Lo Stadium and related infrastructure.
Lao Cai welcomed more than 6.1 million visitors in the first half of the year, including an estimated 841,000 international arrivals.
Tourism revenue reached an estimated VND 22.8 trillion (about USD 870 million) during the period.
