A bird view of Fasipan cable car station.

After many days of "stagnation" caused by impacts of the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic, Sa Pa tourism industry officially revived with a series of attractive stimulus activities and sales promotions from September 30^th.

Following the success of the first tourism stimulus programme in May, 2019, Sa Pa's s second tourism stimulus programme named 'I Love Sa Pa' has been organised by the People's Committee of Sa Pa Town in co-operation with the Sa Pa Tourism Association and Fansipan Sa Pa Cable Car Services and Tourism Limited Liability Company.

The programme was officially kicked off on September 30 by the Prayer for Peace and Prosperity on the sacred Fansipan Peak, followed by cultural activities, art performances, sports, discount and stimulus programs from now to the end of December.

Coming to Sa Pa Town at this time, visitors will feel the hustle and bustle of the local atmosphere, featured by a wide range of sparkling posters, banners and signposts in the theme of 'I Love Sa Pa' located in the busiest areas of Sa Pa.

Since the night of October 1, the Sa Pa Love Market has hosted impressive ethnic art performances by artists from all villages of Sa Pa. The Sa Pa Tourism Association is hurriedly preparing to launch sales promotions and stimulus programmes in co-operation with many local tourism enterprises.

"The pioneer" of Sa Pa's tourism industry – Sun World Fansipan Legend, is the first large enterprise to launch its tourism stimulus programmes in Sa Pa. After a period of closure for maintenance, this tourist attraction started to welcome visitors back since October 1 with a special offer name 'Love Vietnam'. Accordingly, when buying Fansipan cable car tickets, visitors will get a lunch buffet ticket worth VND200,000. In case visitors who do not use cable car services buy lunch buffet tickets, they will get a round-trip ticket for Muong Hoa funicular worth VND100,000. This offer is applicable to all days in a week.

The tourist attraction has also worked with its partners to hold two meaningful running events on Fansipan Peak this October to mark this comeback. They included a plogging event named Run4self Fansipan 2020, launched by the running community Run4self and held on October 3 by Sun World Fansipan Legend in cooperation with Interbus Lines, and a running event named Fansipan Mountain Marathon on October 24.

The tourist attraction has rehabilitated the violet flower hill and rose valley at the cable car arrival terminal that are considered a paradise for virtual living, to catch up with the check-in trends of visitors. Former dirt hills are now covered by the violet of flowers and unveil a breathtaking view when each wind blows. Rose bushes still blossom with large, thick and full roses. They all take root and are much higher than themself in the beginning of the summer when this valley is recorded as the largest rose valley in Viet Nam.

Nguyen Xuan Chien, the director of Sun World Fansipan Legend, said: "From now to the end of 2020, the tourist attraction will endlessly rehabilitate the landscape and organise remarkable events to improve visitors' experience, attract visitors and make this place become a favourite destination where visitors desire to come back more and more."

The second Sa Pa tourism stimulus programme is launched right in the cloud hunting season in October - the time Sa Pa is considered most stunning. The weather in this season is a bit cold and ideal for entertainment and amusement activities. Standing on Fansipan Peak, visitors will be immersed in a spectacular landscape extending to the horizon and covering green mountains. Hoang Lien mountains and forests now remind us of the gorgeous Ha Long Bay in the sky.

Since the pandemic outbreak, Sa Pa has been considered a safe destination when there have been no community transmission cases of COVID-19 in this area. However, local resorts, tourist attractions and entertainment and amusement centres have strictly and thoroughly applied pandemic prevention and control measures such as using loudspeakers for announcing and posting announcements of instructions and recommendations on pandemic prevention and control from the Ministry of Health, locating hand sanitiser bottles in public areas, checking body temperature, requiring visitors to wear face masks and keep a safe distance in lines for tickets or visits to tourist attractions, etc.

The success of the first tourism stimulus shows the synergy and co-operation among authorities, local people and all tourism enterprises will help Sa Pa tourism industry to rapidly revive. This city in clouds featuring romantic beauty, hospitality and professionalism in local tourism activities, will become crowded and bustling again.