Structuring Spaces, Elevating Tourism Destinations

Over the past period, implementing provincial directives, departments, sectors, localities, enterprises, and citizens have coordinated to exploit potentials, develop signature tourism products, and connect cultural heritage with natural landscapes and indigenous experiences. Through this, step-by-step expanding tourism spaces, forming key destinations, elevating attractiveness, and driving sustainable growth.

The overall architectural space of Hung Lo Communal House is deeply imbued with traditional cultural imprints, contributing to honoring heritage values and the appeal of Ancestral Land cultural tourism.

Expanding Spaces, Connecting Signature Values

The consolidation of localities opens up opportunities for Phu Tho to leverage advantages in culture, history, ecology, and resorts. The province shapes interconnected tourism spaces—in which Viet Tri with Hung Temple serves as the ancestral root tourism highlight; Long Coc and Xuan Son develop eco-tourism, agriculture, and community culture; Thanh Thuy and Kim Boi exploit hot spring resort strengths; while Tam Dao, Dai Lai, Hoa Binh Lake, and Mai Chau supplement experiences in nature and ethnic culture.

Connecting the resources and unique nuances of each region will create diverse products, increasing appeal and extending length of stay. Tourists can begin their journey with ancestral cultural experiences at Hung Temple, explore Long Coc tea hills, relax in Thanh Thuy hot springs, then expand to the aquatic spaces of Hoa Binh Lake and Mai Chau villages. This also represents the product organization direction introduced by the Phu Tho Tourism Promotion Information Center through connecting tour itineraries.

Numerous tourists immerse themselves in the green natural scenery of Long Coc tea hills.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong — Tourism Director of Long Coc Ecolodge Homestay, Long Coc commune — shared: “Tourists coming here do not merely want to rest and gaze at tea hills, but also wish to experience local resident life. We hope to connect sightseeing points, tea production facilities, and travel units to build rich itineraries, helping guests stay longer.”

In Ke hamlet, Da Bac commune, there are over 110 Muong ethnic households living, among which 40 households participate in tourism activities. Beyond 3 households operating homestays, other households join in performing art shows, renting kayaks, and guiding tourists... This activity creates livelihoods and elevates income while contributing to preserving local cultural identity.

Travel enterprises maintain the role of connecting destinations, designing itineraries, linking accommodation establishments, and building suitable experiences. Mr. Nguyen Chi Hieu — Director of Asia Travel and Tourism Co., Ltd., Lam Thao commune — shared: “We regularly organize spiritual, cultural, and ecological tours connecting Hung Temple, Hung Lo ancient village, and Long Coc tea hills; while concurrently connecting tourists along Northeast and Northwest routes. Destinations with supporting products and reasonable itineraries help build multi-day tours, attracting returning guests.”

From promoting resource advantages and unique identities, Phu Tho step-by-step connects regions into diverse experience journeys. This serves as the foundation to form key destinations, attracting enterprise investment and effectively exploiting potentials.

Elevating Key Destinations, Promoting Values

From October 9 to 11, 2026, the Famtrip Program “Phu Tho — Green Destination in the Digital Era” surveyed Son Luong and Long Coc communes. The 3-day 2-night itinerary helped enterprises and experts learn about landscapes, services, culture, and tour-building capabilities; while encouraging communities to join in resource preservation.

Numerous residents and tourists visit and shop for products responding to the program “Phu Tho Tourism — Multi-Color Experiences” in Mai Ha commune.

In Lac village, Mai Ha commune, the program “Phu Tho Tourism — Multi-Color Experiences” featured activities promoting culture, introducing OCOP products and Vietnamese goods, alongside displays and cultural exchanges—contributing to promoting the local image and supporting business households in accessing markets. Comrade Nguyen Duc Hoa — Director of the Phu Tho Tourism Promotion Information Center — stated: “Right from the beginning of the year, the Center proactively formulated plans, advising the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Provincial People’s Committee to issue timely directive documents to stimulate tourism with many identity-rich, captivating products and tours.”

During the first 10 months of 2026, Phu Tho is estimated to welcome 14.25 million tourist arrivals, up 9.62% over the same period; revenue reached approximately 14.7 trillion VND, up 11%, hitting 90% of the plan. Overnight stays reached 4.46 million arrivals. In October alone, the province welcomed about 850 thousand arrivals, with revenue reaching 979.2 billion VND.

Results show that tourism appeal continues to improve, while setting demands to develop products in depth, increasing length of stay and spending levels. The province aims to build Phu Tho into a national cultural and festival tourism center, a famous destination for belief culture, ecology, and resorts in the North.

This orientation is concretized in Resolution No. 29 dated June 5, 2026, of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee on tourism development for the 2026–2030 period, and Decision No. 2229 dated July 15, 2026, of the Provincial People’s Committee approving the Tourism Development Scheme for the same period. By 2030, the province strives to welcome at least 20 million tourist arrivals, including approximately 7.8 million overnight stays; creating jobs for over 30 thousand direct and indirect workers.

Along with promotion and marketing, the province focuses on perfecting management mechanisms, laying foundations for destinations to develop professionally. On September 10, 2026, the Provincial People’s Committee issued Decision No. 52 on the Management Regulation for Tourism Activities at Provincial-Level Tourist Areas and Destination Points across the province. Effective from October 1, 2026, the regulation specifies management principles, models, and coordination responsibilities among agencies, localities, organizations, and individuals.

According to Comrade Duong Hoang Huong — Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the program “Phu Tho Tourism — Multi-Color Experiences” creates appeal through cultural promotion, introducing OCOP products, Vietnamese goods, and traditional craft performances. Through this, diversifying sightseeing and shopping experiences, encouraging tourists to extend their stay, expanding exploration itineraries, and driving tourism linked with product consumption and identity preservation.

The province identifies tourism as a comprehensive economic sector possessing inter-sectoral and inter-regional characteristics, creating momentum for growth, labor structure shifting, and development spillover into many fields. Therefore, all levels, sectors, localities, and enterprises need to coordinate synchronously, proactively exploiting potentials, expanding markets, and elevating service quality.

Many activities introducing, promoting, promoting, and connecting tourists with Phu Tho destinations.

Moving forward, the province will continue directing relevant departments, sectors, and localities to coordinate in perfecting infrastructure, accommodation facilities, and supporting services; elevating human resource quality; and building signature products linked with heritage and landscape preservation. Concurrently, step up digital transformation, build shared databases, apply technology in promotion, service booking, and destination management; while strengthening linkages with Hanoi and regional provinces to expand markets.

Promoting potential and advantages, creating livelihoods for citizens, preserving identity, and protecting resources, Phu Tho is step-by-step realizing the goal of turning tourism into a spearhead economic sector, making practical contributions to the province’s sustainable growth.

Ngoc Lam