Overcrowding on the 'roof of Indochina' makes British newspaper.

The Daily Mail opens its article about tourism in Fansipan with an image of crowds of tourists jostling and holding selfie sticks on the summit of Fansipan (Sa Pa, Lao Cai).

According to the Daily Mail, climbing Fansipan used to take two days, but now tourists only need 20 minutes by cable car. This has attracted many tourists to Sa Pa, raising concerns about the potential impact on Sa Pa's natural landscape.

Known as the "roof of Indochina," tourism in Sa Pa has boomed in recent years after the completion of the highway connecting Hanoi and Lao Cai. Hotels have sprung up everywhere.

Tourists take commemorative photos on the summit of Fansipan. Photo: Hoang Dinh Nam/AFP.

Vietnam is becoming a popular tourist destination for foreign visitors, replacing other famous Southeast Asian landmarks such as Chiang Mai (Thailand). However, the commercialization of tourist spots has led many locals to complain about food and beverage establishments located inside famous caves in Ha Long Bay, or beaches littered with trash in Phu Quoc.

In Sa Pa town alone, the number of hotel rooms has surged from 2,500 in 2010 to 4,000 last year. Last year saw 700,000 tourists, generating $50 million in revenue, more than three times the 2010 figure. This growth is attributed to the cable car system, which opened in February, now serving 2,000 people ascending Fansipan daily.

The cable car system has attracted an increasing number of tourists to Sa Pa. Photo: Hoang Dinh Nam/AFP.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Manh, Deputy Director of the Sa Pa Tourism Center, attracting more tourists to Sa Pa will create many jobs for local people, especially thousands of workers for the tourism industry.

Some tourists believe that Sa Pa is gradually losing its inherent charm, as the natural beauty of Fansipan is being replaced by concrete steps and souvenir shops.

Ma A Tro, a Hmong tour guide, confided: "Before the cable car was built, many people in the village had regular jobs as porters. Now that the cable car is here, the villagers no longer have jobs and most have become freelance construction workers."

A hotel is under construction in Sa Pa. Photo: Hoang Dinh Nam/AFP.

Duong Hoang Minh, a tourist who once conquered the 3,143m peak of Fansipan, expressed disappointment with the development of tourism here. However, he acknowledged that now more people can reach Fansipan thanks to the cable car, and it is safer for everyone.

Those in the tourism industry agree that the tourism boom has also brought about necessary developments such as roads, schools, and health clinics to areas predominantly inhabited by ethnic minorities. However, without sustainable development, Sa Pa will "self-destruct," according to Hubert de Murard, director of a resort located 18 km from Sa Pa town.

According to Zing