MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2016

l if e st yleT R A V E L

At the top of Vietnam’s Fansipan Mountain,throngs of giddy tourists wielding selfie sticksjostle for a photo op on the once-remote peak in

the Sapa region, famed for its breathtaking views acrossundulating rice terraces. Getting to the top traditionallytakes a two-day trek but these days most visitors opt fora 20-minute ride by cable car instead-the latest flashytourist attraction to heighten concerns over rapid devel-opment destroying Sapa’s natural beauty. Known bysome as the Tonkinese Alps, the former French outposthas seen a tourism boom in recent years with a newhighway from the capital and hotels popping up atbreakneck pace.

“If more and more building (happens), then one daywe will lose Sapa, we won’t have any more mountain,”said guide Giang Thi Lang, from the Black Hmong eth-nic group. Vietnam’s tourism industry has taken off inrecent years, especially among domestic visitors withgrowing appetites and budgets for travel. The countryhas also become a draw for foreign visitors turning theirbacks on better-known Southeast Asian destinationssuch as Thailand’s Chiang Mai, seeking instead a roadless travelled.

But some lament the commercialization ofVietnamese treasures, with reports of locals complain-ing about multi-course meals served in Ha Long Bay’sfamous caves, or trash-strewn beaches in the resorttown of Phu Quoc.

‘They didn’t listen’ In Sapa town, where heaps of rubble mark hotel sites

under construction, the number of rooms has surgedfrom 2,500 in 2010 to 4,000 last year, according to offi-cial figures. Visitor numbers have snowballed too, reach-ing around 700,000 last year, and revenues have morethan tripled since 2010 to $50 million. Part of thatgrowth is thanks to the cable car-the longest of its kindin the world according to operators-which opened inFebruary with the capacity to ferry 2,000 people to thetop of the mountain daily. “It’s good for Sapa when theycan attract more tourists... and we have a big number ofthe local people that can find jobs,” said Nguyen VanManh, deputy director of Sapa’s Tourist InformationCenter, adding that the sector provided employment tothousands.

But some locals tell a different story. “Before thecable car, there were more porters from the village withregular work,” said Hmong trekking guide Ma A Tro fromFansipan’s summit, where he had just led a two-day trip.“Now with the cable car there, village residents nolonger have jobs, mostly becoming freelance construc-

tion workers.” The government ignored opposition tothe cable car, he said, lamenting that business has dwin-dled since its construction with fewer people climbingthe mountain. “We talked to them, but they didn’t listen.The central government came and said they had to doit, so they did it,” he added.

‘Disappointed’ Some tourists also say Sapa is losing its appeal, with

Fansipan’s picturesque summit replaced by concretesteps, souvenir shops and still-under-construction tem-ples. “I imagined I would come to the top and it wouldbe really natural, but it’s developed here, so for me it’s abit disappointing,” said trekker Duong Hoang Minh, whohiked to the top of the 3,143-metre (10,311-foot) peak.But still, he decided to take the cable car down andagreed that more people can enjoy the mountainbecause of it.

“For other people I think it’s better because it’s saferfor them,” said the 23-year-old teacher, his white sweat-pants slicked with fresh mud. Most tourism operatorsagree the boom has brought much-needed develop-ment roads, schools and clinics, for example-to a regionwhere the majority of the population belong to one ofVietnam’s 53 ethnic minorities, who have traditionallylagged behind the rest of the country. But without sus-tainable growth Sapa risks “shooting itself in the foot”,said Hubert de Murard, manager of the Topas Ecolodgeabout 18 kilometers (11 miles) from Sapa town. Thelodge, with its 25 white granite bungalows overlookinga rice terraced valley, employs mostly locals, was builtusing materials found nearby and was designed toblend in with the surrounding environment-a businessmodel de Murard said he’d like to see newcomersadopt. He worries that some investments have beenshort-sighted, aimed at maximizing the number of visi-tors. “For a natural destination like here, with a pre-served environment, this would not really be good,” hetold AFP as the sun set over the yawning valley behindhim. “We need to be a bit more careful to avoid the mis-take of mass tourism in Sapa.” — AFP

This picture shows two Red Dao ethnic women walking past Topas Ecolodge on the outskirts of northern Sapa touristtown. — AFP photos

A young couple relaxing at Topas Ecolodge on the outskirts of northern Sapa tourist town.

Hubert de Murard, manager of Topas Ecolodge, speaking during an interview with AFP athis resort.

Hmong hilltribe women walking along a street as they sell tourist souvenirs in the north-ern Sapa tourist town.

Tourists disembarking from a cable car at the station near the top of Fansipan Mountainin the northern Sapa tourist town.

A Dao ethnic woman selling tourist souvenirs in front of anew hotel under construction in the northern Sapa touristtown.

Local ethnic minoritywomen walking along a

street as they sell touristsouvenirs.

A cable car passing over rice terracesand mountains between the top of

Fansipan Mountain and the northernSapa tourist town.New hotels under construction on the hillside in northern Sapa tourist town.

People walking in front of a church in the very heart of northern Sapa touristtown.

Tourists walking up from a cable car station to the top of Fansipan Mountain innorthern Sapa tourist town.

A tourist looking at mountains from a coffee shop in downtown of northernSapa tourist town.

Tourism boom threatens

Vietnam’s ‘Tonkinese Alps’