Leaders of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the provincial Tourism Association take a commemorative photo with the Famtrip delegation

Following site visits across the Sa Pa National Tourist Area, on April 7, at Cat Cat Tourist Site, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Lao Cai, in coordination with the provincial Tourism Association, organized a B2B networking program. The event brought together tourism enterprises from six countries: The Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Azerbaijan.

The program aimed to promote Sa Pa as a destination and provide opportunities for domestic and international tourism businesses to meet, exchange information, establish partnerships, and develop new tourism products, thereby attracting more international visitors to Lao Cai in general and Sa Pa in particular. These markets are considered highly potential, with the Philippines currently ranking among the leading sources of international visitors to Lao Cai.

Speaking at the event, the leader of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism emphasized that Sa Pa possesses outstanding advantages for tourism development, including majestic natural landscapes, a distinctive climate, and diverse ethnic cultural identities. Notably, Sa Pa was recently selected by Condé Nast Traveller as the only representative of Vietnam among the world’s 53 most beautiful towns in 2026. In the first three months of 2026, Lao Cai welcomed approximately 3.5 million tourist arrivals, including over 500,000 international visitors, reflecting the growing attractiveness of the destination in the regional and global tourism map.

Mr. Tran Son Binh, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism

The Department highlighted that the Famtrip and B2B networking program provides an important platform for local tourism enterprises to directly engage with international partners, understand market demands, develop tour routes, agree on pricing structures, distribution channels, and service coordination plans, thereby facilitating the introduction of new tourism products to the market.

To enhance cooperation effectiveness in the coming time, the Department proposed that the provincial Tourism Association and enterprises focus on developing professional tour products, improving service quality, and promoting unique tourism experiences associated with local culture and community life. It also emphasized strengthening substantive B2B connections and enhancing coordination in reception, transportation, accommodation, guiding services, and communication, with the goal of turning each enterprise and resident into a “tourism ambassador.”

Cat Cat tourist site

The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Lao Cai reaffirmed its commitment to accompany and facilitate enterprises in cooperation, investment, and tourism development, contributing to building Lao Cai into a civilized, friendly, safe, and attractive destination for international visitors.

The Famtrip and B2B tourism networking program in Sa Pa is a practical activity within the framework of VITM 2026, contributing to expanding international cooperation, promoting the image of Sa Pa - Laào Cai to global partners, and gradually attracting potential international markets to the locality in the coming time.