Sapa Church
In 2019, Sapa received 50,000-60,000 visitors. The number of visitors in 2021 as of now only accounts for 0.04% of 2019's. Most hotels and restaurants are already closed.
"A large number of visitors were from Hanoi and HCM City and nearby provinces. However, these provinces and cities are dealing with a severe outbreak and implementing strict social distancing rules," Quoc said.
People must wear masks to go to the market
People in Sapa also go out less and crowds outside public places are banned. Visitors to the markets must wear face masks and have their body temperature taken. A trader said life was getting more difficult since the majority of their customers used to be tourists. Since travelling is more difficult, the prices of everything also get higher.
Nguyen Van Dao, a tour organiser, has been out of a job for the past four months. He and his wife then sell dried salmon floss online to earn some money. But their business is struggling now as transportation is limited.
"Many people have left the city to wait out the outbreak. Some others tried to find other work. Sapa has never lack visitors for so long," Dao said.
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