(HBO) – Since the beginning of this year, Hoa Binh province has welcomed a large number of tourist groups, including domestic and foreign tourists. New tourism products have been built while existing ones have continued to be improved in terms of quality. Some districts engaging in spiritual tourism such as Da Bac, Lac Thuy, Cao Phong and Tan Lac have resumed normal activities at historical relics and worship sites. These moves signal a positive recovery for the province’s tourism industry in the first months of the year.
A
community-based tourism site in Hich 1 village, Mai Chau district’s Mai Hich
commune, attracts visitors who want to experience products and services bearing
Thai cultural identity.
Mai Chau tourist area is a popular destination for domestic and
international tourists to make spring trips. Le Hoang Thao Nguyen, a teacher at Kim Lien High School in Hanoi, said a
delegation of teachers and students from her school just had a wonderful and
meaningful trip to Mai Chau. During the journey, they stopped at Mai Chau Flag
Tower to admire the scenery, stayed at a homestay and visited community tourism
villages. Nguyen said they really enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere of the Thai
ethnic minority people’s village.
Hoa Binh Lake is also an exciting tourist spot for travellers.
Visitors often travel in a group of 20-40 people. The most popular attractions
include community-based tourism villages in Tien Phong, Hien Luong and Cao Son
communes in Da Bac district, Suoi Hoa communes in Tan Lac district, Binh Thanh,
Thung Nai communes in Cao Phong district and lakeside resorts in Son Thuy
commune in Mai Chau district.
Catching the visitors’ demand, all districts and cities in the province have
organised cultural and sports activities as well as festivals to serve tourists
and local residents.
Notably, the Khai ha (going down to field) festival, the biggest traditional
event of the Muong ethnic group in Hoa Binh, took place at the provincial level
for the first time from January 27-29 (the sixth to eighth days of the lunar
new year).
The province currently has 462 accommodation establishments, nine local tourist
spots including a provincial-level site, and seven travel firms.
According to Bui Xuan Truong, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of
Culture, Sports and Tourism, to realise the 2023 tourism development plan, Hoa
Binh will mobilise capital from various sources to invest in infrastructure,
preserve historical and cultural relics, scenic spots and upgrade electricity,
water systems and communication infrastructure in some highland communes with
tourism potential. Tourism promotion in key markets will be strengthened along
with active participation in domestic events as well as through mass media.
Cooperative activities in tourism development and training of professional
human resources for the tourism sector will be boosted.
It is estimated that the province will welcome 1.45 million visitors in the
first quarter of 2023, up 64.2% year-on-year, reaching 41.4% of the yearly
plan. Of these, foreign visitors are estimated at 90,000, equivalent to 20% of
the year plan and domestic tourists at 1.36 million, or 44.6% of its plan for
this year.
Total revenue from tourism activities is estimated at 1.2 trillion VND (59.3
million USD), an increase of 33.6% over the same period last year, accounting
for 30.8% of 2023’s plan. The province aims to receive 3.5 million visitors
this year, including 450,000 foreign visitors./.
Covering an area of over 52,000 hectares spanning districts of Mai Chau, Tan Lac, Cao Phong, Da Bac, and Hoa Binh City, Hoa Binh lake has strong potential for tourism development. In recent years, thanks to the attention of local Party Committees and authorities as well as support from international organisations, the advantages of tourism in the lake area have been utilised.
Mai Chau is a mountainous district and home to many ethnic groups such as Thai, Muong, Kinh, Mong, Dao, and Tay with distinctive cultural identities, creating a diverse and unique cultural treasure. Aware of its advantages, the district has paid attention to the preservation and promotion of ethnic groups’ cultural values so that culture will become a leverage for tourism and contribute to socio-economic development and life quality improvement.
According to the Hoa Binh provincial Department of Planning and Investment, in Hoa Binh Lake tourist area, there are currently 16 licensed or certified service, cultural and tourism investment projects with a land use area of about 1,444 hectares, and a total capital of over 3.3 trillion VND (133.5 million USD). In addition to investment attraction, the province is speeding up the implementation of projects so as to realise a goal of developing Hoa Binh Lake tourist area into a national one.
These days, tourist attractions in Mai Chau district, especially those highlighted by the charming and romantic white Ban (Bauhinia) flower blossoms, are attracting a large number of visitors from across the country. Visiting these sites, tourists can immerse themselves in the pristine and majestic beauty of nature.