Contributing to competitive advantages and enhancing the appeal of destinations

Tourism gift products are among the important factors that attract tourists, generate employment for local communities, and make a significant contribution to tourism revenue. In Phu Tho province, the development of tourism gifts plays a crucial role in promoting the province’s tourism image and fostering local economic growth.

Conical hats made in Ren Village (Gia Thanh Commune, Phu Ninh District) are displayed and promoted at trade fairs and tourism promotion programs, contributing to the development of local specialties.

In 2024, Phu Tho province welcomed approximately 6.6 million visitors, with total tourism revenue estimated at VND4,100 billion. This year, during just the 10 days of the Hung Kings’ Commemoration Day and the Culture and Tourism Week of the Ancestral Land in the Year of the Snake (from the 1st to the 10th day of the third month of the lunar calendar), Phu Tho is expected to receive around 5.5 million tourists. The relatively large number of visitors offers favorable conditions for tourism gifts to flourish, generating substantial revenue while helping to spread the unique cultural values of the Ancestral Land.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Hoa, Director of the Phu Tho Tourism Promotion and Information Center under the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, shared:“When tourists visit and explore destinations, they often seek out souvenirs and local gift products. Currently, many tourist attractions and sites across the province have arranged display booths for local gifts. Phu Tho’s typical products are also promoted at tourism fairs and events both inside and outside the province, making it easier for visitors to access and select them. Developing and diversifying tourism gifts is also one way to build tourism brands and enhance destination appeal.”

Tourism gift products help increase a destination’s attractiveness, stimulate spending, and serve as “cultural ambassadors” that promote the image of the locality. A complete and satisfying travel experience is often inseparable from the opportunity to shop for regional gifts and specialties.

In recent years, the province has focused on preserving and revitalizing traditional craft villages, improving the quality of OCOP products, and strengthening trade and tourism promotion activities to showcase and introduce its distinctive local products. With over 300 OCOP-certified products, Phu Tho possesses a rich and diverse resource base for selecting standout items to integrate into the tourism value chain. The province also encourages individuals and businesses to invest in designing and packaging products in ways that meet consumer preferences. Tourists can choose from a variety of handicrafts such as ceramics, wood carvings, brocade, and conical hats, as well as beautifully packaged local delicacies including tea, banh chung (square sticky rice cakes), banh ca (carp-shaped cakes), fermented pork, dried fish, pickled cassava, and rice noodles.

Ms. Trieu Thi Nhuong, a craftswoman from Ren Village’s conical hat-making community (Gia Thanh Commune, Phu Ninh District), shared:“Our village currently has about 40 households engaged in the craft. We are constantly working to improve designs to create hats that are not only durable and beautiful but also rich in the cultural identity of the Ancestral Land—offering visitors more meaningful choices when selecting souvenirs.”

Despite these encouraging results, tourism gift products in Phu Tho still face challenges in terms of diversity and innovation. Some product lines lack distinctiveness, making them less competitive when compared to similar offerings from other regions.

To ensure sustainable and effective development of tourism gift products, Phu Tho still has much untapped potential. Greater investment is needed in design, product quality enhancement, and the expansion of convenient distribution channels for tourists. In the context of growing regional tourism linkages, incorporating cultural storytelling and embedding historical and cultural values into each gift product will help create unique highlights and enhance the competitiveness of local tourism offerings.

Nguyen Hue