The "balance" of East-West tourism .
In 2024, Quang Nam welcomed over 8 million visitors, including approximately 5.5 million international tourists. This is a considerable number, but it is almost entirely concentrated in the eastern part of the province.
In the western region, only the Dong Giang Heaven's Gate Ecotourism Area and the Nam Giang Co Tu Community-Based Tourism Village have a relatively stable number of visitors to ensure continuous operation.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hong, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, acknowledged that in recent years, tourism in Quang Nam has mainly developed in the eastern region, leveraging the strengths of beach tourism and heritage tourism, but has not strongly developed tourism in the western region, nor has it fully exploited the local cultural values of the ethnic minority communities.
At the conference, Quang Nam announced the Hoi An - My Son - Dong Giang Heaven's Gate tourism corridor. This is the province's first tourism corridor, expected to provide further impetus for tourism in the western region, with the Dong Giang Heaven's Gate eco-tourism area as its center.
On this occasion, the Quang Nam Tourism Association signed agreements with Indian travel companies; meanwhile, FVG Travel Group Joint Stock Company and its travel partners in Vietnam, Thailand, and India also signed memoranda of cooperation to promote tourist exchanges to boost tourism in Quang Nam in general and especially to promote tourism to the western region of Quang Nam in particular.
According to statistics from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the six highland districts of the province alone account for 68 out of a total of 128 rural tourism areas, sites, and villages in the province – a huge "treasure" waiting to be unlocked to reduce the imbalance in East-West tourism in Quang Nam.
According to Mr. Le Quoc Viet, Chairman of the Quang Nam Destination Club - Preserving Local Values (Quang Nam Tourism Association), the club has currently developed 10 tourism routes connecting the Quang Nam region, including many routes connecting from East to West that are very popular with international tourists who enjoy backpacking.
The unit hopes to coordinate with relevant authorities to soon organize a "Quang Nam tourism congress" to further promote these tourist routes and attract more visitors to the western region.
Strategic investment and respect for culture.
Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Pham Thanh Tung, Deputy Director of the Institute of Agricultural Economics and Tourism, argued that destinations in western Quang Nam province have not yet properly understood the importance of selecting customer segments that align with their local strengths.
Therefore, before developing destinations and products, it is necessary to consult with competent advisors and experts in the field of mountain tourism development to provide advice and connect with suitable tourist flows.
“Authorities need to review whether the land use planning and plans have effectively conveyed the strategic vision for tourism development. Furthermore, it is necessary to identify the ‘tourism artery’ of the mountainous region of Quang Nam, thereby creating a seamless tour route connecting Da Nang and Quang Nam. Given limited investment resources, it is crucial to identify a main ‘tourism route’ to focus investment on infrastructure, destinations, and tours… to promote tourism in the mountainous region, rather than investing haphazardly,” Mr. Tung proposed.
According to Ms. Ta Thi Tu Uyen, Director of the Product and Service Department at Vietravel, for the Dong Giang Heaven's Gate eco-tourism area and its surroundings, it is necessary to clearly define the nature tour routes (forest walking paths, caves) and guide tourists to comply with them, in order to preserve the sensitive ecosystem.
At the same time, respecting the truth in cultural performances, organizing Co Tu cultural activities and festivals only at appropriate times and in suitable spaces, with the consent and active participation of the Co Tu community, avoiding turning culture into mere "commodities".
Preserving the Co Tu culture requires a parallel approach, both within the community (teaching the language, writing system, and traditional crafts to the younger generation) and in tourism activities (introducing the true nature and meaning of customs to tourists).
Nguyen Tuong Lam, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Youth Union and President of the Vietnam Youth Federation, said that more mechanisms and policies are needed to support young people from ethnic minority groups in developing ecotourism. These young people are knowledgeable about the natural and social ecosystems of the highlands.
At the same time, it is necessary to build a network connecting young people to start tourism businesses, linking young people with tourism enterprises to create more job opportunities and career development right in the western region. This will contribute to promoting sustainable tourism development in the mountainous region, sharing benefits harmoniously with local people.
Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/cu-hich-cho-du-lich-vung-cao-quang-nam-3150387.html
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