Together with community-based tourism, Mai Chau district is focusing on developing eco-resort tourism around Hoa Binh lake in Son Thuy commune.
Tourists enjoy kayaking on Hoa Binh lake.
Son Thuy commune - home to Muong and Thai ethnic groups - still retains untouched nature with rolling mountains and peaceful villages along Hoa Binh lake, thus attracting tourists, especially young backpackers. In the winter, the area is often blanketed with thick fog, reminding many people of the famous resort town of Sa Pa in the northern province of Lao Cai.
Rich natural resources and unique cultural identity are advantages for the commune to develop tourism. Initially, some backpackers discovered the area and came to explore the area. Later, some businesses surveyed and invested in building hotels and resorts to meet the high-end tourist market segment.
Notably, Mai Chau Hideaway resort and Ba Khan Village in Son Thuy commune affirmed their positions in attracting visitors to the Hoa Binh lake tourist area in particular and Hoa Binh tourism in general.
Ha Thi Lieu, deputy head of the Culture and Information Department of Mai Chau district, said that the formation of high-end ecological resort destinations helps increase the attractiveness of the Hoa Binh lake tourist site, promoting local tourism. Some households in the area have provided homestay services for tourists, offering more choices to experience local culture. Local eco-resorts have recovered strongly after the COVID-19 pandemic, inspiring investors to continue to seek investment opportunities.
Resorts and hotels in the tourist area attract tourists all year round, the room occupancy rate ranges from 50 - 70% on working days, and 90 - 100% on weekends. In particular, Mai Chau Hideaway is preferred by international visitors with about 70% of its guests coming from European and American countries.
The People's Committee of Hoa Binh province has just issued Plan No. 128 to implement the Prime Minister’s Directive No. 08 dated February 23, 2024 on comprehensive, rapid and sustainable tourism development in Hoa Binh province.
To turn Hoa Binh Lake into a national tourism area, the Standing Board of the Hoa Binh provincial Party Committee on June 22, 2017 issued Resolution No. 14-NQ/TU on developing the Hoa Binh Lake tourism area. Since then, resources have been mobilised to promote local tourism activities. The area now has met three of the five important criteria for a national tourism area.
The Standing Board of the provincial Party Committee has issued a resolution on the development of the Hoa Binh Lake Tourist Area, aiming to turn it into a national site. To date, the area has satisfied three out of the five criteria set for a national tourist site.
Coming to Hoa Binh, visitors will be impressed by the natural beauty of Ngoi Hoa bay in Suoi Hoa commune, Tan Lac district.
People in Cha Day village in Pa Co commune, Mai Chau district of Hoa Binh province, have been taking advantage of natural conditions and traditional cultural values to develop community-based tourism which has helped improve their quality of life.
The Hoa Binh lake tourism area has strengths to attract visitors, particularly those who are interested in resort tourism and community-based tourism.
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