Phu Tho Tourism: Staying Ahead of the Curve and Strengthening Integration

Prior to administrative mergers, tourism integration activities had been proactively deployed by Phu Tho, leaving many significant hallmarks. Phu Tho’s tourism sector entered a historic milestone following the merger of the three provinces of Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc, and Hoa Binh. This consolidation unlocked an unprecedentedly vast development space, diverse resources, and escalating demands for coordination and integration. Standing before this new mission, Phu Tho tourism is determined to make a powerful breakthrough, fundamentally shifting its operating method from “administrative connectivity” to "value integration."

Vibrant and colorful Muong cultural dances during the opening night of the Hung Kings' Temple Festival and the Ancestral Land Culture - Tourism Week in 2026.

The merger of three provinces into a single unified entity unlocks massive potential but simultaneously presents a major equation, as geographical distances and business cultures still contain various differences. Under the close direction and timely guidance of the Phu Tho Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, the management and tourism connectivity apparatus was swiftly stabilized and consolidated in accordance with Decision No. 1850/QD-UBND of the Provincial People’s Committee.

The Executive Board of the Provincial Tourism Association was firmly established with 75 committee members, attracting 158 members to join its activities. The membership base successfully aggregates all sectors—ranging from travel agencies and accommodation providers to restaurants, service blocks, and tourism investors—forging a synchronized ecosystem ready to unite in driving the green economy forward.

Beyond organizational stabilization, connectivity efforts have yielded highly substantive and efficient results. Three inter-provincial inspection programs across the former territories of Vinh Phuc and Hoa Binh were scientifically organized to re-evaluate service quality and connect tour routes for commercial exploitation.

Notably, the Famtrip and Presstrip program themed “To the Land of Heritage - Multi-Chromatic Connectivity” attracted nearly 50 travel agencies and press units, creating a resounding echo and breathing a new lung of air into promoting the local tourism image to a wide audience of travelers. Furthermore, humanitarian and charitable work received deep attention through coordinated efforts to present 70 warm gifts to patients at the Provincial General Hospital.

Clearly identifying opportunities and challenges, Phu Tho’s tourism sector has determined to robustly shift its operational methods to upgrade destination competitiveness. The objective is to build an identity-rich and distinct destination brand, extending visitors' length of stay and lifting tourist expenditures based on the diversified resource base post-merger.

Tourists explore the pristine beauty of the Ngoi Gianh Lake reservoir area in Trung Sơn Commune.

Instead of operating under a fragmented “every man for himself” approach, Phu Tho will concentrate on forming clusters of characteristic product linkages tailored to each sub-region. The harmonization among Phu Tho’s core strength in ancestral cultural tourism, Vinh Phuc’s luxury resort tourism, and Hoa Binh’s Muong-ethnic community ecotourism will forge a unique and holistic mosaic.

Tourists can now not only return to offer incense in reverence to the Ancestors, but can also travel upward to Tan Son and Thanh Son to listen to the chirping of forest birds, or cross over to Mai Chau, Da Bắc, and Kim Boi to immerse themselves in pristine natural landscapes and savor the heartwarming indigenous culture.

To translate these visions into sweet fruits, enterprises will pool their strength into executing digital transformation, applying modern technology in management and sales, and constructing a comprehensive digital data connection information system. Parallel to this, partnering with universities and colleges—such as Hung Vuong University and the University of Industry—to train a high-quality workforce that is tech-savvy and proficient in foreign languages will serve as the master key to elevating professionalism across the entire industry.

Sharing orientations for the coming time, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Lan—Chairman of the Phu Tho Tourism Association—noted that the steepest pressure currently is dismantling the barriers of geographical distance and the differences in old business models. This is crucial to maximizing the specialized strengths of each land within a vast shared space, prompting enterprises to voluntarily shake hands to extend tourists' length of stay.

The tea plants at Long Coc Tea Hill carry a dual mission: serving as a key agricultural crop while providing a stunning backdrop for tourists' photographs.

Consequently, the Association will swiftly assign clear responsibilities and roles to each unit tied to key areas, while establishing specialized sub-associations—such as travel, accommodation, culinary/restaurants, and transportation—to boost deep integration. Great emphasis will be placed on developing membership in both quality and quantity.

The Association will also accelerate digital transformation and synchronized marketing promotions by building a shared information platform, supporting enterprises in executing multi-channel marketing to reach international markets. Concurrently, it will coordinate on-site training courses to upgrade professional vocational skills and sign extensive cooperation agreements with universities and colleges to tailor human resource training to actual market demands.

The collective heart of the business community, backed by timely empowering mechanisms and policies from the Provincial People’s Committee, will serve as a powerful launchpad for the Ancestral Land’s tourism to successfully fulfill its set targets and take flight.

Le Hoang