At the conference to promote trade, investment and tourism in Dien Bien province. (Photo: dienbien.gov.vn) Dien Bien (VNA) – Experts gathered at a recent conference in thenorthwestern mountainous province of Dien Bien, discussing measures to promotelocal trade, investment and tourism.
According to Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Le Van Quy,besides huge potential to develop a wide range of tourism products, theprovince boasts strengths to branch out hydropower plants on three main riversof Da, Ma and Me Kong.
Housing Muong Thanh airport and two border gates on the Vietnam-Laos borderline, Dien Bien province has great opportunities to bolster international tradetowards turning itself into a transit hub in the north, which helps connectVietnam’s northwestern region with northern Laos, southwestern China, andnortheastern Myanmar.
Quy also pointed out that Dien Bien’s poor infrastructure and tourism productshave failed to boost local trade and tourism to match its potential.
Experts suggested the locality invest heavily in building transportinfrastructure in border areas and encourage construction of logisticfacilities and market stalls, saying that they are important to enhance tradewith Lao border localities as well as countries in the East-West EconomicCorridor.
The province should zone off agricultural areas and select suitable localstaples to develop brand names, satisfying demands of border market, they said,adding that the communication work on border trade development policies must enjoydue attention while linkages with foreign localities sharing the borderlineshould receive top priority.
Regarding tourism, Deputy Director General of the Vietnam NationalAdministration of Tourism Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong stressed that Dien Bien provincehas not tapped its potential to the fullest.
Quality accommodations and unique local tourism products are the top solutions,the official said, adding that along with tourism popularisation, the focusshould be placed on human resources training.-VNA
VNA
