Northern Vietnam's tourism industry recovers swiftly from Typhoon Yagi, preparing to welcome international visitors for the October peak season

Northern Vietnam’s tourism industry is swiftly rebounding from the damage caused by Typhoon Yagi, with recovery expected before the peak international tourist season begins in October. Industry insiders express optimism as major tourist destinations such as Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, and Sa Pa are rapidly resuming operations following the storm.

While Cat Ba Island, off the coast of Hai Phong, remains severely impacted, other key tourist areas have seen significant progress in cleanup and repairs. In Quang Ninh Province, home to the UNESCO World Heritage site Ha Long Bay, a large-scale cleanup campaign has been launched to restore the area for tourism. As of September 13, approximately 5,200 four- and five-star hotel rooms and over 8,500 one- to three-star rooms in Ha Long were ready to accommodate visitors.

Northern mountainous regions, including popular destinations like Sa Pa and Ha Giang, have also started welcoming tourists again after swift recovery efforts. Despite the typhoon’s disruption to the tourism supply chain in these areas, recovery has been progressing rapidly, according to Nguyen Huu Cuong, general director of Trang An Travel.

“Some tours to Hanoi and Ha Long have already resumed,” Cuong said. “With ongoing recovery efforts, tourism services in the north will be fully stable within one or two months.”

The peak tourism season in northern Vietnam, which typically runs from October to April, brings a surge of international visitors. Pham Ha, CEO of Lux Group, said his company’s cruise ships, Emperor Cruises Legacy Ha Long and Heritage Binh Chuan, suffered only minor damage and have already resumed operations. The ships have been nearly fully booked until the end of September, serving around 100 international guests per group.

Efforts to revive northern Vietnam’s tourism sector received a boost when the government directed ministries on September 17 to support businesses and individuals affected by Typhoon Yagi. The storm, which made landfall in the Quang Ninh–Hai Phong area on September 7, brought winds reaching 149 km per hour and left many hotels and resorts in ruins.

However, with rapid recovery measures in place, the region is expected to be fully prepared for the influx of international tourists by the start of October.