A tour programme entitled “Memories of Old Battlefield and Comrades” hasrecorded some encouraging initial results after five years ofoperation, with increasing numbers of domestic and foreign touristsvisiting the host province of Quang Tri.
According to Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sportsand Tourism Nguyen Huu Thang, the programme has contributed remarkablyto the provinces economic development by creating jobs and reducingpoverty.
From 2005 to June 2010, Quang Triprovince welcomed nearly 3.7 million visitors, earning a total revenueof 2.77 billion VND - a modest figure but an encouraging sign for thetourist industry in a poor area like Quang Tri.
Quang Tri saw some of the fiercest battles during the war against the US , and is home to 431 historical sites.
Thang said that soon after the programme was launched in 2005, theprovince organised a series of socio-cultural activities and events topromote tourism.
Many cultural festivals focusingon the revolution have impressed not only local visitors but alsoforeigners from all over the world, including the annual Truong SonLegends Festival on July 27 and a ceremony to release flowers on ThachHan River.
The 2010 National ReunificationFestival, which took place on the 35th anniversary of the liberationof the South and national reunification (April 30), has left a deepimpression on nearly 100,000 visitors.
The “WarMemoirs and Aspirations for Peace” Festival welcomed 38 foreignambassadors and hundreds of overseas Vietnamese from all corners of theworld.
This was a “double” efficiency of thecombination of war relics and revolutionary festivals in areas that hadseen fierce struggles during the war.
Theprovince has also invested in the infrastructure that serves memorialtours, including historical sites and relics, and roads from Cua Tungbeach to the Vinh Moc tunnels and roads to Cua Viet and Cua Tungbeaches, Cua Tung Bridge and the memorial house to late PartyGeneral Secretary Le Duan.
Monuments to the heroesof Con Co Island and Regiment No. 27 in Cam Tuyen, a bell-tower inQuang Tri Citadel, road No. 9 and Truong Son Cemetery have beenconstructed or upgraded.
Tourist agencies inQuang Tri in particular have also responded to the programme byintroducing reasonable and attractive tours as well as preparing maps,leaflets and publications that promote Vietnamese tourism.
Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Tien Tho stressedthat in the future, businesses should define their markets in order tocreate more attractive tours.
He said that localtour operators need to liaise with travel agencies from the surroundingprovinces and cities that have a large demands for visits to Quang Triand then expand to localities along the East-West Corridor and countriesin the Mekong sub-region, targeting overseas Vietnamese and academicswho want to study the wars and revolutionary movements in Vietnam,especially in Quang Tri.
They should also looktowards Western European countries, the Republic of Korea , Japanand the US and focus on war veterans and relatives of those who hadfought in Quang Tri province.
As one of theinitiators of the “Memories of Old Battlefield and Comrades” programme,Deputy Minister of National Defence Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen HuyHieu said that the programme should be expanded to north-western,central and Central Highlands provinces, Ho Chi Minh City and MekongDelta provinces.
Hieu, who fought on Quang Tri’sbattlefields during the war, said he hoped that the programme will linkup Quang Tri with other battlefields such as Dien Bien Phu in thenorth and Cu Chi tunnels in the south./.
According to Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sportsand Tourism Nguyen Huu Thang, the programme has contributed remarkablyto the provinces economic development by creating jobs and reducingpoverty.
From 2005 to June 2010, Quang Triprovince welcomed nearly 3.7 million visitors, earning a total revenueof 2.77 billion VND - a modest figure but an encouraging sign for thetourist industry in a poor area like Quang Tri.
Quang Tri saw some of the fiercest battles during the war against the US , and is home to 431 historical sites.
Thang said that soon after the programme was launched in 2005, theprovince organised a series of socio-cultural activities and events topromote tourism.
Many cultural festivals focusingon the revolution have impressed not only local visitors but alsoforeigners from all over the world, including the annual Truong SonLegends Festival on July 27 and a ceremony to release flowers on ThachHan River.
The 2010 National ReunificationFestival, which took place on the 35th anniversary of the liberationof the South and national reunification (April 30), has left a deepimpression on nearly 100,000 visitors.
The “WarMemoirs and Aspirations for Peace” Festival welcomed 38 foreignambassadors and hundreds of overseas Vietnamese from all corners of theworld.
This was a “double” efficiency of thecombination of war relics and revolutionary festivals in areas that hadseen fierce struggles during the war.
Theprovince has also invested in the infrastructure that serves memorialtours, including historical sites and relics, and roads from Cua Tungbeach to the Vinh Moc tunnels and roads to Cua Viet and Cua Tungbeaches, Cua Tung Bridge and the memorial house to late PartyGeneral Secretary Le Duan.
Monuments to the heroesof Con Co Island and Regiment No. 27 in Cam Tuyen, a bell-tower inQuang Tri Citadel, road No. 9 and Truong Son Cemetery have beenconstructed or upgraded.
Tourist agencies inQuang Tri in particular have also responded to the programme byintroducing reasonable and attractive tours as well as preparing maps,leaflets and publications that promote Vietnamese tourism.
Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Tien Tho stressedthat in the future, businesses should define their markets in order tocreate more attractive tours.
He said that localtour operators need to liaise with travel agencies from the surroundingprovinces and cities that have a large demands for visits to Quang Triand then expand to localities along the East-West Corridor and countriesin the Mekong sub-region, targeting overseas Vietnamese and academicswho want to study the wars and revolutionary movements in Vietnam,especially in Quang Tri.
They should also looktowards Western European countries, the Republic of Korea , Japanand the US and focus on war veterans and relatives of those who hadfought in Quang Tri province.
As one of theinitiators of the “Memories of Old Battlefield and Comrades” programme,Deputy Minister of National Defence Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen HuyHieu said that the programme should be expanded to north-western,central and Central Highlands provinces, Ho Chi Minh City and MekongDelta provinces.
Hieu, who fought on Quang Tri’sbattlefields during the war, said he hoped that the programme will linkup Quang Tri with other battlefields such as Dien Bien Phu in thenorth and Cu Chi tunnels in the south./.
