Prolonged heavy rains triggered by typhoons Bualoi and Matmo have caused landslides along many roads leading to tourist destinations in Lao Cai Province, including the Sapa area, since late September and early October.
Nguyen Trung Kien, a representative of the Cat Cat Tourism Management Board, said that heavy rains and flooding had affected tourism activities as several roads in Sapa were blocked by landslides. He added that now that the routes had been temporarily cleared, the site had reopened and was once again welcoming visitors.
National Highway 4D in Sapa hit by landslides following Typhoon Bualoi (Photo by the Lao Cai police)
Kien said visitor numbers to Cat Cat Village and Sapa have fallen sharply due to storms and floods, with only a few hundred arrivals daily. Most current visitors are now from Asian countries such as India, the Philippines, and South Korea.
Local authorities and tourism businesses are working to clean up and repair infrastructure in preparation for the return of tourists.
According to Lao Cai’s Department of Tourism, Sapa welcomed an estimated 329,000 visitors in September, generating over VND 1.5 trillion (about USD 56.9 million) in revenue.
In the first nine months of the year, the locality received more than 3.5 million visitors, with total revenue exceeding VND 15 trillion (approximately USD 569 million).