Visitors experience the tranquility in Lang Chua village, Lang Can town, Lam Binh district. (Photo: VietnamPlus)
Hanoi (VNA) – The northern mountainous province of Tuyen Quang, bestowed with breathtaking landscapes coupled with a kaleidoscope of culture and cuisine, needs to diversify to better tap into the tourism market to increase revenues, insiders have said.
A distinct lack of quality accommodations and tourism activities hobble the province’s tourism development, according to Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Hoang Viet Phuong.
Experts and travel firms shared his opinion at the forum “Promotion of Investment, Trade and Tourism in Tuyen Quang province”, held the morning of April 3.
Tuyen Quang – a land of cultural festivals
Tuyen Quang’s cultural festivals, cuisine, and spectacular landscapes can draw a lot of tourism if developed correctly, said Deputy General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Ha Van Sieu.
Visitors explore Tuyen Quang province. (Photo: VietnamPlus)
Improvements in the locality’s tourism promotion activities are ongoing, Sieu said, adding the first international hot air balloon festival from March 30 to April 4 was the highlight.
It will not only highlight provincial tourism potentials but that of the nation as a whole.
The Tuyen Quang Tourism Year 2022 festival, jointly organised by the province and the International Balloon Association in collaboration with Vietjet Air, brings together 20 hot air balloons from different countries and territories around the world including the United Kingdom, United States, Japan, Taiwan, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Spain and the Netherlands.
The festival was awarded the record certificate for the biggest international hot air balloon festival in Vietnam by the Vietnam Record Organisation (Vietkings).
Photo: Inside Khuoi Pin cave (Photo: VietnamPlus)
Meanwhile, Tu Uyen from Vietravel tour operator lauded the “nhay lua” (fire jumping) festival of Pa Then ethnics in Lam Binh district.
Nhay lua is a harvest festival held right after Tet (lunar new year festival), and reflects the Pa Then’s strength and wish to conquer nature, and asks the fire god for favorable weather, bumper crops, and happiness.
According to the Pa Then’s belief, the god of fire helps expel evil spirits and saves people from misery, bringing them peace and prosperity.
The festival starts with lighting a fire for a deity worshiping rite conducted by a sorcerer who, surrounded by young men, sits on a bench, drumming two metal objects together. The young men then sit on the bench in turn, entranced. Bending down and shaking their bodies, they start jumping and within moments, jumping into the fire as one would be walking on hot charcoals. Some even lay down in the fire before jumping out. The Pa Then believe the duration a man can jump in a fire depends on his strength bestowed by deities, which keeps him from being burned.
Lam Binh district is working to restore the festival, making it an attractive tourism product for both domestic and foreign visitors, said Vice Chairman of Lam Binh district People’s Committee Nguyen Khac Hien.
Measures to branch out tourism
Improving tourism accommodations and providing high-quality tourism services are the main aim, suggested Chairman of the UNESCO Hanoi Travel Club Truong Quoc Hung, saying Tuyen Quang province needs to preserve its ethnic culture, an invaluable asset for tourism.
For his part, CEO of MTV Vietnam Travel JSC Doan Ngoc Tung said it is necessary to organise traditional art performance at night in each village, while homestays should undergo extensive renovation and promotion.
Additionally, he laid stress on the significance of training for local people so that they are able to offer professional tourism services.
Other travel firms recommended Tuyen Quang zone off areas for OCOP and souvenir shops, invest in a standardized homestay system, and develop policies to lure strategic investors to develop tourism projects in the locality.
A visitor is exploring Khuoi Nhi waterfall. (Photo: VietnamPlus)
According to Mr. Hoang Viet Phuong, Tuyen Quang is constructing a road linking Hanoi to the Lao Cai highway, helping reduce travel time from Hanoi to Tuyen Quang and Ha Giang by two-thirds.
Besides, the province is working to upgrade Tan Trao historical relic site, as well as develop health tourism in My Lam mineral spring, and ecotourism in Na Hang and Lam Binh district, he added./.
| Tuyen Quang, 165km from the capital city of Hanoi, has emerged as a new and alluring tourist destination in the country. Located in the heart of the northern mountainous region, it has picturesque scenery as well as rich cultural diversity as it is home to several ethnic minority communities. Tuyen Quang was considered the capital of the liberated zone in 1945, and the centre of the country during the period of resistance against the French colonialists. With the national relic site in Tan Trao and Kim Binh districts, historical-cultural tourism is one of the province’s strengths. In Son Duong and Yen Son districts, there are more than 600 historical sites. Tuyen Quang is making efforts to restore these relics for a new wave of tourism, and to educate the public on the revolutionary traditions of the region for generations./. |
