The northernmost province of Ha Giang has fulfilled this year’s tourism target with more than 500 billion VND (23.8 million USD) in revenue so far, a year-on-year rise of 15 percent.

The province has welcomed 440,000 tourist arrivals, up 5.3 percent from 2012, including 130,000 foreigners.

Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Trieu Thi Tinh said that to reap such an outcome, Ha Giang has worked hard to preserve the Dong Van Old Quarter in Dong Van district and the Dong Van Stone Plateau, which is a World Geological Park.

It has revived numerous festivals specific to local ethnic minority groups and successfully organised a Cultural Heritage Tourism Week for Ethnic Minority Groups, she noted.

The deputy director added that the sector has also implemented various tourism promotion programmes, while enhancing service quality, tourism facilities and invested more in craft villages and community-based tourism.

The number of tourists visiting Ha Giang, particularly the Dong Van Stone Plateau, is forecast to surge next year, especially during the Lunar New Year holiday which falls in late January.-VNA