Ancestral Land Tourism: Unlocking Potential and Accelerating Growth

Entering a new stage of development with an expanded regional connectivity framework, Phu Tho’s tourism sector recorded encouraging results during the first six months of 2026, creating strong momentum to achieve and surpass the province’s annual targets. By leveraging its spiritual and cultural heritage while diversifying eco-tourism and wellness products, tourism in the Ancestral Land has not only reinforced its position as a premier destination for pilgrimage and heritage tourism but has also taken important steps toward realizing the strategic vision of making tourism a key economic sector.

Hoa Binh Lake Tourist Area attracts large numbers of visitors seeking sightseeing and experiential tourism activities.

A Premier Destination Connecting Heritage Regions

Located in the heart of Viet Nam’s Northern Midlands and Mountainous Region, Phu Tho has long been recognized as the sacred ancestral homeland of the Vietnamese people. The Hung Kings Temple Festival is not only a major spiritual and cultural event for the nation but also the “golden destination” of tourism in the Ancestral Land.

The 2026 Hung Kings Commemoration Festival held special significance as it marked the first year of Phu Tho’s new development phase following the merger with Vinh Phuc and Hoa Binh provinces. Against this backdrop, the festival once again demonstrated the province’s remarkable tourism appeal, immense potential, and increasingly important role in strengthening regional connectivity across the Northern Midlands and Mountainous Region. Tourism activities flourished as large numbers of pilgrims and visitors traveled to the province for cultural experiences and heritage exploration.

Beyond preserving the solemn ceremonial aspects of the festival, the province placed particular emphasis on maximizing tourism value associated with the event. Activities within the Ancestral Land Culture and Tourism Week were creatively designed to expand visitor experiences, enhance connectivity, and encourage longer stays.

The program “Colors of Ancestral Land Tourism – Phu Tho 2026” featured tourism promotion activities, OCOP product exhibitions, folk cultural performances, regional culinary showcases, and traditional arts presentations, becoming a cultural highlight that attracted both residents and visitors from across the country.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh An, a visitor from Ha Dong Ward, Hanoi, shared his experience: "Every year my family visits Hung Kings Temple to pay tribute to our ancestors, but this year’s festival provided a truly different and more complete experience. After offering incense at the temple, we joined a series of folk cultural activities in Viet Tri Ward, participated in a heritage tourism tour, and then traveled to Thanh Thuy Commune for wellness and hot-spring tourism. The combination of traditional spiritual tourism and modern health-care services made our trip both meaningful and relaxing. Service quality, hospitality, and transparent pricing at accommodation facilities and restaurants gave visitors great confidence and comfort."

Within the newly expanded development space, Phu Tho now enjoys unprecedented opportunities to create highly competitive regional tourism products.

While the province’s administrative center serves as the core destination for heritage tourism centered on the Worship of the Hung Kings and Phu Tho Xoan Singing, the northeastern area offers renowned wellness and spiritual destinations such as Tam Dao and Tay Thien. Meanwhile, the southern region attracts visitors with community-based tourism, Hoa Binh Lake ecotourism, and the unique cultural identities of ethnic minority communities.

The synergy among these destinations creates opportunities to develop multi-experience tourism routes that combine spiritual tourism, wellness retreats, ecological exploration, and indigenous cultural discovery, thereby increasing the province’s appeal to both domestic and international visitors.

In this context, the 2026 Hung Kings Festival was not only a journey back to the nation’s roots but also an effective test of Phu Tho’s capacity for tourism organization, regional linkage, and sustainable tourism development in its new phase of growth.

Building Momentum from Remarkable Achievements

According to Mr. Dang Tuan Hung, Head of the Tourism Management Division under the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Phu Tho’s rich cultural heritage and diverse natural landscapes have enabled the province to steadily establish itself as an attractive and safe tourism destination on Viet Nam’s tourism map.

Proactive management, effective tourism promotion, and product diversification have produced impressive results in both visitor numbers and tourism revenue.

During the first six months of 2026, Phu Tho welcomed an estimated more than 10.5 million visitors. Of these, over 3.2 million visitors stayed overnight, generating nearly 3.9 million visitor-days. International arrivals reached approximately 74,000 visitors, accounting for 148,000 visitor-days.

Total tourism and service revenue during the six-month period is estimated at VND 10.755 trillion, an impressive figure that reflects robust growth and provides a solid foundation for achieving and exceeding the province’s tourism targets for 2026.

These achievements result from the implementation of a wide range of coordinated solutions.

The province successfully organized major tourism promotion events, including “Colors of Ancestral Land Tourism” and the “Launch of the Phu Tho Tourism Stimulus Program 2026.” Tourism authorities also coordinated a Tourism and Culinary Exhibition and the tourism promotion campaign “Tam Dao – Rendezvous Above the Clouds 2026,” further strengthening regional cooperation.

At the same time, improving human resource quality remained a priority through professional training programs for tour guides in Viet Tri and tourism skills development courses in Mai Chau.

Efforts to promote cultural heritage have also achieved notable success. Images of the Ancestral Land were prominently featured at eight major tourism promotion events both domestically and internationally, helping enhance Viet Nam’s international tourism profile.

The provincial tourism sector successfully hosted the Famtrip–Presstrip program “Phu Tho Tourism – Connecting Heritage Regions, Experiencing Diverse Colors,” bringing together more than 20 media organizations and over 20 leading travel agencies to survey tourism routes and destinations.

In addition, Phu Tho actively participated in the Expanded Northwest Tourism Cooperation Conference held at Moc Chau National Tourism Area and conducted surveys and consultations with Van Son Commune authorities to support preparations for recognition of Van Son as a provincial-level tourism area by 2030.

To create stronger breakthroughs in the coming years, the Standing Board of the Provincial Party Committee issued Resolution No. 29-NQ/TU dated June 5, 2026, on tourism development for the 2026–2030 period.

This resolution is considered a strategic roadmap that reflects the determination of the Party Committee, government, and people of Phu Tho to develop tourism into a spearhead economic sector and establish the province as a nationally significant cultural and festival tourism center with international stature.

The remarkable achievements recorded during the first six months of the year represent more than simple growth statistics. They are vivid evidence of the tourism sector’s innovative mindset and effective implementation capacity within the province’s new development space.

These accomplishments provide a solid foundation for achieving the province’s annual growth objectives. With systematic strategies, strong commitment, and the collective efforts of government agencies, businesses, and local communities, Resolution No. 29-NQ/TU is expected to help tourism in the Ancestral Land take off, reinforcing its position in a new era of development.

Huong Lan