Tourism development cooperation in the expanded Northwest region

Recently, the tourism development cooperation group in the expanded Northwest Region and Ho Chi Minh City have had many activities to strengthen cooperation in promoting tourism, creating new tourism products, attracting tourists, thereby creating motivation for tourism growth, contributing to promoting economic restructuring in localities.

The eight provinces of the expanded Northwest region, including: Phu Tho, Ha Giang, Dien Bien, Hoa Binh, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, and Son La, are blessed by nature, bestowed with majestic beauty and unique terrain, climate, landscape, ecosystem along with traditional culture, customs, traditions, festivals, costumes, unique folk songs and folk dances. These are highlights that have special appeal and hold tourists back.

With Phu Tho, the land of diverse and rich tangible and intangible cultural heritages, imbued with the culture of national origin, especially, the Hung Kings’ Temple Historical Relic Site and two representative intangible cultural heritages of humanity recognized by UNESCO, namely “Hung Kings Worshiping in Phu Tho” and “Phu Tho Xoan Singing” creates a highlight for Phu Tho to build a unique tourism product. In addition, Phu Tho is also blessed with a precious source of hot mineral water, suitable for resort tourism in Thanh Thuy district, and the unique beauty of Long Coc tea hill, Xuan Son National Park - Tan Son district... has created a rich and diverse tourism resource, helping Phu Tho build unique tourism products to meet the needs of domestic and international tourists.

With Phu Tho, the land of diverse and rich tangible and intangible cultural heritages, imbued with the culture of national origin, especially, the Hung Kings’ Temple Historical Relic Site and two non-cultural heritages Representative objects of humanity recognized by UNESCO are: “Hung King Worship in Phu Tho” and “Phu Tho Xoan Singing” creating a highlight for Phu Tho to build a unique tourism product. In addition, Phu Tho is also blessed with a precious source of hot mineral water, suitable for resort tourism in Thanh Thuy district, and the unique beauty of Long Coc tea hill, Xuan Son National Park - Tan district. Son... has created a rich and diverse tourism resource, helping Phu Tho build unique tourism products to meet the needs of domestic and international tourists.

With investment, upgrading specific tourism products and continuing to develop new tourism products based on the strengths and differences of the provinces in the cooperation group, to date, a number of tours and routes have been effectively exploited such as: Coming to the Fatherland - National origin along the route Ho Chi Minh City - Hanoi - Phu Tho - Lai Chau - Sa Pa, Bao Yen (Lao Cai) - Quang Binh, Dong Van (Ha Giang) ); Northwestern Hung Ca tour along the route Ho Chi Minh City - Hanoi - Hoa Binh - Son La - Dien Bien - Lai Chau - Sa Pa (Lao Cai) - Ha Giang... In 2023, the cooperation group brought put into operation a number of new tourism products on the “Northwest Arc” route such as: “Journey connecting the Northwest national terraced rice heritage region” - The narrative of the brocade weaver between the Northwest sky and land and “The Majestic Northwest” - Along the Da River to come the land of memories, creating new attractions, enriching destination itineraries, helping tourists and travel businesses have more choices in their journey to discover the Northwest.

Along with that, provinces and cities in the cooperation group have proactively built and developed inter-provincial and inter-regional tourism products, in which Phu Tho province has organized to welcome delegations of Northwest travel businesses (Inbound and Landtour) to survey and link to build a Phu Tho and Northwest linking tour; Organize survey and communication teams for travel agencies and newspapers (Famtrip, Presstrip) and organize research seminars to build community cultural tourism products and services in Xuan Son, Tan Son district, connecting tours associated with tourist areas and destinations in the province; coordinate with Vinh Phuc province to organize the Famtrip group “Colors of the Midlands” associated with a workshop on building tourism products and practicing the water procession ceremony at Bach Hac junction, Viet Tri city; building a Vinh Phuc - Phu Tho tour connecting the Northwest region...

In 2023, the total number of visitors to the eight expanded Northwest provinces is estimated to reach 27 million visitors. In Phu Tho, guests are estimated to reach 776 thousand, an average increase of 15% compared to 2022, total revenue from tourism services is estimated to reach 3,365 billion VND, an increase of 27% compared to 2022. In 2024, tourism in the Fatherland aims to welcome 800,000 visitors, mainly on the Hung Kings’ Death Anniversary - Hung Kings’ Temple Festival and Fatherland Culture and Tourism Week in the year of Dragon 2024.

In particular, as the leader of the cooperation group for tourism development in the eight expanded Northwest provinces and Ho Chi Minh City in 2024, Phu Tho has begun implementing cooperation and tourism development plans and programs, with the main focus on the provinces in the cooperation group. It is expected to implement activities during the year such as: Organize Famtrip to build a thematic tour “Connecting national cultural values, Northwest revolutionary history and community tourism destinations”; building rural tourism products; Destinations to visit the tea regions in the Northwest provinces; Northwest Essence Festival Program in 2024.

Thu Huong