Phu Tho (VNA) – Authorities of the northern province of Phu Tho held a meeting with international tourism delegations on April 8 to strengthen cooperation and expand inbound tourism markets.
The event, attended by leaders of the provincial People’s Committee, local departments and tourism enterprises, offered an opportunity to promote Phu Tho as an attractive destination and enhance tourism connectivity to attract more international visitors.
Speaking at the meeting, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Khac Hieu said Phu Tho, regarded as the ancestral land of the Vietnamese people, boasts rich cultural and historical heritage along with diverse natural landscapes. These advantages create favourable conditions for the development of cultural, spiritual, ecological and resort tourism.
Located at the gateway linking the northern midland and mountainous region with Hanoi, the province also benefits from convenient transport infrastructure, enabling the development of interregional and international tourism routes.
In recent years, Phu Tho’s tourism sector has recorded positive growth. In 2025, the province welcomed around 14.5 million visitors, generating tourism revenue of approximately 14.8 trillion VND (nearly 562.2 million USD). The province has identified tourism as a key economic sector and aims to become a leading destination for cultural and festival tourism, as well as spiritual, ecological and resort travel in northern Vietnam.
Hieu affirmed that the province will continue working closely with businesses to develop tourism products tailored to different markets, strengthen promotion activities and expand international tour links. Efforts are also being made to improve the investment and business environment to facilitate cooperation and unlock tourism potential.
Phu Tho’s tourism industry has maintained steady growth in recent years, with increasingly diverse tourism products and improved service quality meeting the needs of both domestic and international visitors, according to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
During the peak period of the Hung Kings’ Commemoration Day festival in 2025 alone, Phu Tho welcomed around 5.5 million visitors, highlighting the strong appeal of cultural and spiritual tourism in the ancestral land.
In addition to the Hung Kings Temple historical site, destinations such as Thanh Thuy hot mineral springs, Xuan Son National Park, and the Long Coc tea hills are attracting a growing number of visitors, helping diversify tourism products from cultural and spiritual travel to ecological, resort and community-based experiences.
Earlier the same day, the Phu Tho Tourism Association, in coordination with the Vietnam Tourism Association and the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, organised a survey tour for more than 80 international travel companies from eight countries and territories, including the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan (China), Hong Kong (China), Myanmar and Malaysia.
They visited and experienced several tourist sites and services, including the Hung Kings Temple, Tay Thien tourist area, and Tam Dao. At these destinations, international tour operators explored local cultural, spiritual and ecological tourism products.
Agus Pahlevi, Director of Levi Tour from Indonesia, said he had visited Vietnam more than 11 times but this was his first visit to Tay Thien.
He noted that Vietnam is a promising tourism market in Southeast Asia and shares cultural and culinary similarities with Indonesia. According to him, if destinations such as Tay Thien further diversify visitor experiences such as eco-walks, rice farming activities, fishing experiences and cultural immersion programmes, they could attract more international tourists.
Meanwhile, Tabanao, a manager from Maubbie Travel and Tours of the Philippines, said tourist sites in Phu Tho possess distinctive features, particularly their traditional cultural values and natural landscapes. She also expressed interest in developing tours bringing Filipino visitors to experience cultural and spiritual tourism combined with resort stays in the province./.
