New York Times: The cable car is evidence of Vietnam's spectacular transformation in tourism
In an article titled "If You Can Take the Cable Car to the Colosseum, You’re in Vietnam" published on October 25th, the leading American daily newspaper, the New York Times, has commented on and been impressed by the cable car systems at Vietnam's most popular tourist destinations, as well as Sun Group, the corporation behind these projects. Because of its unique image and title, the article quickly drew international readers after it was published. The New York Times ranked it first in the Travel section and kept it on the home page for many hours.
The world's longest three-cable ropeway to Hon Thom Island, Phu Quoc |
Take a cable car to the "Colosseum"?
This is a quite funny title by reporter Patrick Scott - the author of the article that has aroused a lot of curiosity among international readers when imagining Vietnam. Patrick Scott spent time researching cable car systems in Phu Quoc, Sa Pa, Da Nang, etc., as well as recording descriptions based on his own feelings and those of international tourists.
The New York Times writer visited Phu Quoc in March and took the 8km cable car from Sunset Town to Hon Thom Island, describing the sea water at that time off southern Phu Quoc Island seen from the cable car as "as clear as crystal", which is further embellished by hundreds of colourful wooden fishing boats, creating a resplendent scene.
Sunset Town, with the beauty of a Mediterranean town. — Photos by Minh Tu |
This cable car route is also the inspiration for Patrick Scott’s title of the article. He describes the cable car station area as a "full-scale" version of the Colosseum in Rome, and the entire Sunset Town as an elaborate replica of a Mediterranean city in Italy, with a bell tower, baroque fountains and Roman ruins. Patrick Scott believes Sun World Hon Thom and Sunset Town tourism areas to be among Vietnam's most amazing man-made structures.
"It looked like Disneyland or The Truman Show," described Tomek Tabaka, a Polish tourist.
In Da Nang, Patrick Scott commented that the cable car route to the top of Ba Na has transformed the old French hill station into Sun World Ba Na Hills - a European-style theme park, with French villages, Gothic churches, fairy-tale castles and, most notably, the Golden Bridge, a global media phenomenon.
Cable car system at Sun World Ba Na Hills |
In Sa Pa, he was impressed by the cable car system to Fansipan, Vietnam's highest peak. Tourists will sit on the cable car crossing a sea of thick, white clouds before reaching the clear space at the peak. At Fansipan, tourists will admire spiritual complexes that simulate the architecture of 16th-century Vietnamese pagodas, including a 10-story bell tower, stone staircase system and a giant sitting Buddha statue. Suvisa Vathananond and Patrick Tunhapong, Thai tourists, commented that the Sun World Fansipan Legend tourism area strikes a good balance between conservation and development.
The cable car "brings Vietnam to the world"
"Vietnam is home to the world's four longest cable car lines, all built in the past decade, showing the dramatic transformation of Vietnam's economy and tourism industry," the American daily newspaper commented, emphasising that the majority of famous cable car systems were developed by Sun Group – honoured as "Asia's Leading Integrated Tourism Group 2022-2023" by World Travel Awards.
Steven Dale, founder of "Gondola Project", a reputable website tracking the global cable car development industry, said that one of the most successful cable car development countries in Asia is Vietnam. According to data from cable car manufacturers, over the last two decades, about 26 cable car lines have been built in dozens of locations across our country, showing the rapid development of facilities serving tourism needs.
Cable car to Fansipan peak during crocosmia season |
The game started in 2007, when the Sun Group founders returned home from Ukraine, starting with the construction of the first cable car line about 6 km long to the peak of Ba Na (Da Nang), in collaboration with the world's leading cable car group Doppelmayr of Austria. Since then, Sun Group has launched 6 Sun World areas with cable cars, earning up to 9 Guinness World Records, such as: The world's longest three-cable ropeway in Phu Quoc; World's biggest cable car in Ha Long (Quang Ninh); The world's tallest cable tower in Cat Ba (Hai Phong); The world's largest vertical climb cable car system to Fansipan peak in Sa Pa (Lao Cai), and; The world's longest single-cable ropeway car to the peak of Ba Na (Da Nang).
Positive effects
According to expert Steven Dale, Vietnam is suitable for cable car constructions due to its abundance of mountains, forests and islands. This is considered a "road" that has faster construction time, is cheaper, and causes less environmental damage than roads.
The New York Times commented that the cable car is meaningful for a developing country like Vietnam. The country's middle class cannot easily afford a trip to Rome (Italy), or Paris (France), but they can easily buy cable car tickets ranging from 25 to 45 USD to visit European-inspired destinations such as Ba Na Hills or Phu Quoc.
Not only the Golden Bridge, Sun World Ba Na Hills also attracts tourists with structures such as the Lunar Castle |
The American daily newspaper also clearly pointed out the positive effects of cable cars on the local economy. As noted by the article, with the Sa Pa government, the locality only welcomed 65,000 tourists in 2010, before the highway was built from Hanoi in 2014 and the cable car was inaugurated in 2016. By 2019, the number of tourists had skyrocketed to 3.3 million and reached 2.5 million the previous year during the post-epidemic recovery.
Aside from mixed opinions about Sa Pa tourism, such as on ethnic minority children begging for money and uncontrollable development of buildings and hotels, the cable car has made Fansipan peak more accessible and attracted thousands of tourists every day. One commenter in the article noted that the cable car keeps other Sa Pa destinations from being overcrowded, and indigenous villages better retain their traditional features.
See also
Vietnam a green, attractive destination
16:30 | 23/12/2024 Tourism
Mekong Delta tourism continues to surge
15:21 | 23/12/2024 Tourism
Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro line - catalyst for HCM City's tourism development
15:17 | 23/12/2024 Tourism
Overseas tourism promotion: Breakthrough in market connectivity
14:46 | 23/12/2024 Tourism
Two VNese destinations among cheapest places to live for digital nomads
13:10 | 21/12/2024 Tourism
Vietnam among top 3 destinations appealing to Australians
14:34 | 17/12/2024 Tourism
See more news
Ha Long Bay celebrates 30 years as a world heritage site
15:16 | 16/12/2024 Tourism
“Biet dong Sai Gon - Legendary Tunnels" tour launched
15:10 | 16/12/2024 Tourism
Cao Bang promotes UNESCO-recognised global geopark
13:11 | 15/12/2024 Tourism
International visitors praise Phu Quoc as “beyond expectations”
14:05 | 09/12/2024 Tourism
Leading global tourism enterprises hail Phu Quoc as "Hawaii of the East"
09:20 | 09/12/2024 Tourism
Vietnam among top five favorite destinations for US tourists
21:08 | 08/12/2024 Tourism
15.8 million int'l tourists came to Việt Nam in first 11 months, nearing 2024 target
07:00 | 07/12/2024 Tourism
2025 holiday schedule announced early, expected to boost tourism
11:33 | 04/12/2024 Tourism
Developing green and sustainable tourism as a pathway to growth
09:22 | 04/12/2024 Tourism
Việt Nam, RoK expand tourism cooperation
11:40 | 03/12/2024 Tourism
HGS affirms ground service quality in aviation sector
17:19 | 23/12/2024 Companies
Banking sector: Capital flows with no congestion
17:13 | 23/12/2024 Finance-Banking
VAECO contributes to elevating Vietnamese aviation brand
17:11 | 23/12/2024 Vietnamese Brands
Amended Electricity Law proves MoIT’s institutional improvement success
17:06 | 23/12/2024 Policy
FTAs enhance Vietnam-China trade growth
17:02 | 23/12/2024 Cooperation
Multimedia
Glorious tradition of the Vietnam People's Army
08:30 | 22/12/2024 Infographic
Total FDI registered in Vietnam hits 31.4 billion USD in January-November
09:02 | 17/12/2024 Infographic
First 11 months of 2024: Import-export turnover increases 15.4%
10:55 | 16/12/2024 Infographic
11-month agro-forestry-fishery exports exceed yearly target
19:55 | 15/12/2024 Infographic
Hanoi achieves or exceeds 23/24 socio-economic targets for 2024
08:57 | 13/12/2024 Infographic
Amended Electricity Law proves MoIT’s institutional improvement success
17:06 | 23/12/2024 Policy
Ministry proposes extending agricultural land tax exemption through 2030
15:06 | 23/12/2024 Policy
Gov't targets to gradually make English second language at schools by 2030
15:45 | 21/12/2024 Policy
Nine newly-adopted laws made public
16:42 | 20/12/2024 Policy
Success story behind 500kV Circuit-3 transmission line project
16:43 | 23/12/2024 Energy
Ministry proposes incentives for renewable energy projects
16:17 | 20/12/2024 Energy
The Era of Advancement for Vietnam Industrial Park
17:15 | 19/12/2024 Industry
Vietnamese coffee sector working to meet EU Deforestation Regulation
16:38 | 18/12/2024 Industry
Nghe An Southeast Economic Zone aims to attract 1 billion USD in FDI in 2025
12:33 | 21/12/2024 Investment
Boeing aims to expand investment and cooperation in Vietnam’s defense sector
17:00 | 19/12/2024 Investment
Can Tho attracts non-state investment
10:21 | 17/12/2024 Investment
FDI remains vital contributor to boost economic growth
09:06 | 13/12/2024 Investment
Banking sector: Capital flows with no congestion
17:13 | 23/12/2024 Finance-Banking
Year-end surge in property bond issuance amid financial challenges
09:39 | 20/12/2024 Finance-Banking
Vietcombank named most valuable brand in Vietnam
16:43 | 18/12/2024 Finance-Banking
Many banks increase deposit interest rates in year-end period
16:56 | 16/12/2024 Finance-Banking
Vietnam likely to face continued turbulent weather systems in 2025
14:26 | 19/12/2024 Environment
Nature-based projects help Mekong Delta fight climate change
16:31 | 18/12/2024 Environment
11 rare monkeys released back into wild in Nghe An
09:27 | 18/12/2024 Environment
Master Plan on Sustainable Exploitation and Use of Coastal Resources announced
11:26 | 16/12/2024 Environment
Contracts worth 286.3 million USD inked at Vietnam Int’l Defence Expo 2024
17:02 | 22/12/2024 Science - Technology
Vietnam can partner with UK in developing nuclear power: Expert
12:43 | 21/12/2024 Science - Technology
Vinaphone launches fastest 5G service in Vietnam
12:38 | 21/12/2024 Science - Technology
Vietnam cooperates with Google to launch “Official Government Apps" feature
17:13 | 20/12/2024 Science - Technology
30-day free rides on 17 bus routes connected to Metro Line 1
16:14 | 23/12/2024 Society
Bac Ninh: 28 additional 4-star-rated OCOP products
23:24 | 22/12/2024 Society
HCM City’s first metro line launched after years of delay
16:47 | 22/12/2024 Society
Aviation sector strengthens smuggling, commercial fraud and counterfeit goods control
09:49 | 22/12/2024 Society
VAECO contributes to elevating Vietnamese aviation brand
17:11 | 23/12/2024 Vietnamese Brands
Petrovietnam keeping national “energy flame” ever burning
16:17 | 23/12/2024 Vietnamese Brands
Vietnamese products crave out a niche in UK market: Official
15:26 | 23/12/2024 Vietnamese Brands
Viettel's hi-tech products meets standards for supply to Malaysia
13:19 | 21/12/2024 Vietnamese Brands
Fireworks to light up sky over Hanoi on New Year celebration
15:13 | 23/12/2024 Culture
Vietnam’s high-end fashion targets Chinese market
10:04 | 22/12/2024 Culture
Enduring tradition of Ha Nhi ethnic minority group's costumes
13:14 | 21/12/2024 Culture
Legendary band Boney M to thrill Vietnamese audiences this Christmas
14:49 | 17/12/2024 Culture
Vietnam a green, attractive destination
16:30 | 23/12/2024 Tourism
Mekong Delta tourism continues to surge
15:21 | 23/12/2024 Tourism
Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro line - catalyst for HCM City's tourism development
15:17 | 23/12/2024 Tourism
Overseas tourism promotion: Breakthrough in market connectivity
14:46 | 23/12/2024 Tourism