"Giving wings" to tourism in Thai Nguyen

Instead of waiting for tourists to come, Thai Nguyen has brought its tourism products to provinces and cities nationwide to invite cooperation; not only creating new tourism products, but also opening up opportunities for rapid, strong, and sustainable development of the tourism industry... This is how Thai Nguyen province "gives wings" to help its tourism industry fly higher and further.

Passengers received attentive and thoughtful service on the Hanoi -Thai Nguyen trial train, contributing to the development of tourism in the future. Photo: Thu Nga

In 2024, Thai Nguyen province's tourism industry reaped many rewards, with a total of over 3,485,000 visitors, a 39.5% increase compared to 2023; and tourism revenue reaching over 3,089 billion VND, a 44.1% increase.

This is vivid evidence of the effectiveness of the province's tourism promotion, marketing, and branding activities in recent years. In 2024 alone, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism – the permanent agency of the Provincial Tourism Development Steering Committee – coordinated with 15 provinces and cities nationwide to organize conferences to discuss and find solutions for cooperative tourism development.

With the enthusiasm to "bring the bell to ring in a foreign land," members of the Provincial Tourism Development Steering Committee have taken full advantage of space and time to promote the potential and strengths of Thai Nguyen tourism to their friends. With over 1,000 historical and cultural relics; more than 550 intangible cultural heritage sites; 11 destinations recognized by the Provincial People's Committee; nearly 300 craft villages; over 230 OCOP products ranging from 3-5 stars; and 4 main tourism product lines associated with tea culture, including: Cultural, spiritual, historical, and heritage tourism; Ecotourism and resort tourism; Community and rural tourism; and MICE, sports, and adventurous cave exploration tourism.

Through the screening of video clips and the distribution of leaflets, brochures, and tourist maps; and the display of images introducing the landscapes, people, customs, and traditional products... many tourism entrepreneurs from various provinces and cities were "shocked" to realize that Thai Nguyen is completely different from what it was a few years ago.

Many people say: We know Thai Nguyen for Nui Coc Lake, the Museum of Vietnamese Ethnic Cultures, and Tan Cuong tea. But now we know Thai Nguyen as an ideal destination, with many attractions and rich service activities, where you can both visit, relax, and experience the land that poet To Huu wrote about more than 70 years ago: "Green mountains, blue waters, you can wander freely."

On a beautiful tea plantation. Photo: Contributor

Workshops on tourism cooperation and development organized by Thai Nguyen in provinces and cities nationwide attracted more than 600 delegates, including leaders from the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, the Vietnam Tourism Association, Departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Departments of Tourism, Tourism Associations of provinces and cities, and businesspeople operating in the tourism sector.

In particular, over 300 representatives from travel companies, 200 representatives from accommodation establishments, and 47 media outlets participated in promoting the Thai Nguyen "Taking the Bell to the Foreign Land" campaign. This contributed to spreading the province's tourism brand far and wide to people and tourists both domestically and internationally.

The series of workshops facilitated the signing of agreements between the Thai Nguyen Provincial Tourism Association and other provinces and cities, leading to the sharing of tourism experiences, training of tourism human resources, investment in tourism development, and the introduction and sharing of tourists through newly opened tours and routes between tourist areas and destinations within and outside the province.

Representatives from the tourism sectors of provinces and cities such as Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, Vinh Phuc, Phu Tho, Hai Phong, and Quang Ninh… visited Thai Nguyen to conduct surveys and directly sign cooperation agreements with tourism areas, destinations, and businesses in the province.

As a result, the number of tourists visiting Thai Nguyen increased sharply during holidays and weekends. During peak periods like the September 2nd holiday, the province welcomed over 200,000 visitors in just four days, an increase of nearly 30% compared to the same period in 2023. The average room occupancy rate reached 50%. Some hotels and guesthouses in Thai Nguyen City and other tourist destinations achieved occupancy rates of 80-100%.

The cuisine of the tea-growing region features many dishes where artisans and chefs use tea leaves as a spice.

Along with "taking the bell to ring in foreign lands," the Thai Nguyen Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism actively organizes tourism promotion activities within the province. During the year, the Department organized Famtrip and Famtrip-Presstrip programs to experience various destinations. Each program attracted nearly 100 participants, including representatives from tourism management agencies and tourism businesses from provinces and cities nationwide.

The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism also published 1,000 photo books with the theme "Experiencing the Land of Tea, Rich in Identity"; 40,000 brochures introducing tourist destinations in the area; and designed and printed two brochures introducing and promoting tourism: "Thai Nguyen Preserving Ethnic Cultural Identity Associated with Tourism Development"; and "Preserving and Promoting the Value of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Thai Nguyen Province".

The Thai Nguyen tourism photo contest with the theme "Experiencing the Tea Region, Rich in Identity," and the "Essence of Thai Nguyen Tea Region Cuisine" festival were successfully organized, attracting hundreds of artists and artisans to participate...

Through flexibility and innovation in promoting and enhancing the image and building and improving brand quality, the province's tourism industry has been given "wings," creating an attractive appeal that draws a large number of domestic and international tourists to Thai Nguyen. This has significantly contributed to the successful achievement of the goal of developing tourism into a key economic sector of the province.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/kinh-te/202412/chap-canh-cho-du-lich-thai-nguyen-37f1a3b/