Dalat reassures tourists

Many tourists have postponed or canceled their trips to Da Lat in November and December due to concerns about landslides. Local authorities said tourism activities remain stable and the pass is being urgently reinforced to welcome visitors.

Lam Vien Square after the rain. Photo: Duy Hieu .

Planning to go to Da Lat City (old), Lam Dong on November 28, Trang Tram (27 years old, Ho Chi Minh City) decided to cancel her bus ticket and negotiate with the hotel to keep the deposit until Lunar New Year 2026. She heard that Mimosa Pass had a landslide and was not confident about traveling at this time.

"It's quite unfortunate, but the feeling of anxiety comes not only from the image of landslides, but also from the information about the upcoming storm, high humidity with the risk of landslides. I will wait until the mountain passes are stable and safe before continuing my journey," she told Tri Thuc - Znews.

Not only Thien Nhi, Ninh Giang's group (30 years old, Ho Chi Minh City) also canceled the trip on December 1-5.

According to him, the mountain pass is already difficult to travel, and storms are even more risky, not to mention that the group has small children. Traveling in a state of anxiety is not fun, so canceling the trip is the only safe option.

Meanwhile, when the rain eased, some tourists continued their journey, typically Thien Nhi (26 years old, Ho Chi Minh City). Her family drove to Da Lat, passing Bao Loc Pass and Sacom Pass on November 23. However, the whole family only stayed around the city center.

"The whole family has planned for a long time, and the weather is more stable, so I don't want to postpone it. Restaurants and food services are still open as usual. Just drive more carefully," Nhi shared.

"The most number of tour cancellations of the year"

Tourists traveling to Da Lat have been significantly affected by landslides on many important mountain passes. The recent tour cancellations and postponements have also caused headaches for tourism businesses.

Dao Duc Thien, a representative of a company that organizes day tours in Da Lat, said that since November 16, about 90% of tourists who booked tours in November and early December have canceled or postponed their trips. This is the largest number of cancellations this year.

Last week (November 17-23), many accommodation establishments offered free or 50-70% discount on room rates for tourists stranded in Da Lat due to the psychological impact of landslides on two mountain passes. Photo: Duy Hieu.

Accommodation establishments also recorded many guests postponing and canceling their rooms, especially between November 15 and November 20. From the second half of November onwards, Da Lat enters its peak season, but the room occupancy rate in November and December is only average.

"The occupancy rate is only half of last year. There has never been so many empty rooms during the peak season. We are facing storm No. 15, and at the beginning of the year, the weather will be less erratic, so I will launch a promotion to compensate," said the owner of a hotel located in the Phan Dinh Phung - Hai Ba Trung planning area (Xuan Huong ward - Da Lat).

Consecutive natural disasters have also caused a hotel on Hai Thuong Street (Xuan Huong Ward - Da Lat) to see a sharp decline in revenue since September due to the rainy season and landslides. To support tourists, the hotel allows rescheduling until they feel safe to travel.

"There's only one month left of the year, and with storm number 15 coming, we don't have much hope. We'll welcome as many guests as we can," said Huyen Trang, the hotel owner.

Reassure

Talking to Tri Thuc - Znews , Mr. Tuong Huu Loc, Vice President of Lam Dong Province Tourism Association, said that in reality, Da Lat is still peaceful, tourism activities are still taking place normally and ensuring the best experience for visitors. Only some mountain passes leading to the central area (Prenn, Mimosa, Khanh Le) have landslides due to natural disasters.

"Since November 20, there has been no more heavy rain and the weather has cleared up. The Sacom, Ta Nung and Song Pha passes are still safe for tourists from the South and Central regions to travel to Da Lat. However, as storm No. 15 is heading towards the South Central mainland, tourists should consider postponing their trips after the storm passes," Mr. Loc informed.

Da Lat weather on November 24. Photo: Nhat Hung.

In recent days, the Lam Dong Department of Construction has urgently repaired traffic works that were eroded and degraded after natural disasters to ensure safety, avoid disruption of travel and impact on tourism businesses. Landslide locations on Prenn and Mimosa Passes are prioritized because these are vital routes.

Currently, Prenn Pass has reopened to two-way traffic, except for trucks to ensure safety. Of which, 2/4 lanes of the landslide section are only 2 lanes inside. The construction unit has reinforced and treated the surface and roadbed to allow temporary traffic. However, in the context of complicated storms, vehicles are advised to limit passing the pass during heavy rain, at night, and thick fog, and to comply with traffic instructions.

Mimosa Pass had steel piles installed to support the foundation on November 19. Photo: Duy Nguyen.

Regarding Mimosa Pass, on November 20, Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee issued a decision to declare an emergency situation with the landslide section (km226+600 to km226+800 and km249+932 to km249+968) for quick reinforcement. The unit is urgently constructing, paving the road surface on an 8m wide, 2-lane base to ensure that it can be opened to traffic at 8am on November 29.

At the same time, the entire pass is also being checked and repaired at points at risk of landslides, especially drainage locations on the negative slopes to reassure tourists and locals.

Source: https://znews.vn/da-lat-tran-an-du-khach-post1605751.html