Hanoi- Lao Cai expressway (Source :VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Experts of the EU-funded Environmentally and Socially Responsible Tourism Capacity Development Programme (EU-ESRT) have completed two technical reports on developing tourism products in the northwest region.
The region comprises eight provinces, namely Dien Bien, Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Hoa Binh, Lai Chau, Son La, and Phu Tho.
The reports were built based on the geography of provinces along the Hanoi-Lao Cai expressway, National Highway 6 and the Da River basin.
The report on developing tourism products in the Hanoi-Lao Cai Highway corridor defined four main tourist clusters including southern Phu Tho, northern Phu Tho and Yen Bai, eastern Lao Cai, and western Lao Cai. Tourism products in the clusters are mainly based on nature and culture.
Prominent tourist sites will be the national relic site of Hung Kings temple and ancient villages nearby Viet Tri city in Phu Tho province; Thac Ba Lake in Yen Bai province; Sa Pa town in Lao Cai province and ethnic minority villages and mountaineering routes in neighbouring districts like Bac Ha and Bat Xat.
Hanoi, Lao Cai city, Sa Pa town, and southern Chinese provinces will serve as key centres providing tourism services in the Hanoi-Lao Cai expressway.
The expressway forms part of the Kunming (China)-Hai Phong (Vietnam) Transport Corridor and belongs to the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) cooperative programme linking Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and China.
Meanwhile, the report on developing tourism products along National Highway 6 and the Da River basin identified Hoa Binh city and vicinities, Hoa Binh Lake, Mai Chau Valley, Van Ho district, Moc Chau plateau, Son La city and vicinities, Muong La-Quynh Nhai, Dien Bien Phu city and nearby areas, Muong Nhe, and Da-Nam Na confluence as main tourist clusters.
The EU-ESRT project also issued a regional tourist map based on fact-finding tours. It is considered important sources for local authorities to develop tourism development policies in preparation for the National Tourism Year to be hosted by Lao Cai and northwestern provinces in 2017.-VNA
