Vinh Phuc (VNA) – The northern midland province of Vinh Phuc welcomed over 15.5 million tourists between 2017 and 2019, according to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The department said over the past three years, the number of holiday-makers to Vinh Phuc grew 15 percent on average, helping to increase the local budget and improve living standards.

In 2017, the locality served 4.45 million visitors, including 33,500 foreigners. The numbers are expected to reach 5.9 million and 43,100, respectively, this year. Each vacationer spends about one and a half days in the province.

Revenue generated by the tourism sector increased from 1.42 trillion VND (61.5 million USD) in 2017 to around 1.8 trillion VND in 2019.

Vinh Phuc has 409 accommodation establishments with more than 7,500 rooms, including 41 hotels rated from two to five starts. Among the 10 travel businesses operating in the locality, there are four international companies.

Located 80km to the north of Hanoi, Vinh Phuc has optimised its geographical advantage and natural resources, as well as historical and cultural relic sites, to become a safe and friendly tourist destination.

To ensure safety for tourists, Vinh Phuc has instructed competent agencies and localities to intensify inspections, and asked restaurants, entertainment sites and accommodation establishments to maintain service prices even in the peak season, while paying attention to environmental protection and food hygiene.

A wide range of products have been developed to lure more visitors, including eco-tourism, homestays, cultural-spiritual tourism, resort tourism, and MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Conference and Event) tourism.

Notably, several newly-launched tours have attracted a slew of travellers such as the one-day tour to conquer Tam Dao Mountain Range, the “Spiritual Path” tour, and the Hai Luu stork reserve, among others.

The province is home to several popular tourist destinations. Notably, Tam Dao is an ideal summer resort in the north, standing 900m above sea level.

Tam Dao National Park is nearby where the vegetation coverage is representative of five types of tropical forest. The flora consists of 904 species and the rich fauna includes 307 species.

At the foot of Tam Dao Mountain, Dai Lai Lake is an artificial reservoir. Dai Lai is blessed with a favourable climate, cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Over the lake lies a 3-hectare island which is home to different kinds of birds. Tourists also have a chance to enjoy panoramic views of the lake from the top of Than Lan Mountain.

Located 90km from Tam Dao, Tay Thien is well-known for its beautiful forests, streams, waterfalls and grottoes.

The province also has bountiful tangible and intangible cultural sites with nearly 1,000 relics that include Ha Tien Pagoda, Binh Son Tower, Huong Canh Temple, Hai Ba Trung Temple and Dong Dau archeological site. Visitors will also be fascinated by traditional feasts, peculiar crafts, melodious folk songs, traditional games and tasty local dishes.

Trong Quan Duc Bac singing - folk singing between male and female groups – has been practised by locals in Vinh Phuc for centuries and become a cultural “speciality” of the locality.

The art form involves a spontaneous back and forth repartee accompanied by drums. The witty response of singers on various topics and in different voices is a unique feature of this folk art.

Each spring, young men from Duc Bac village and young women from the neighbouring province of Phu Tho gather on the banks of a river in Duc Bac to engage in Trong Quan singing, through which they express their love. The singing then gradually moves to the yard of the communal house.

 To turn the folk art into a unique tourism product for Vinh Phuc, it is necessary to organise performances at cultural-historic sites and popular tourist attractions, and include Trong Quan shows in community-based tours./.