Cao Bang Tourism - Aspiration to break through from the 19th Congress Resolution - Part 4 - Cao Bang Electronic Newspaper

Part 4: Promoting three pillars of breakthrough tourism development

The province has identified the development of tourism human resources, diversification of tourism products and brand building as three key tasks that have been strongly implemented and achieved many positive changes. Thereby, Cao Bang tourism has made a breakthrough, imbued with a unique and distinctive indigenous culture, gradually building the brand "Non nuoc Cao Bang" on the domestic and international tourism map.

Human resources - the key link is enhanced

One of the major limitations of Cao Bang tourism in previous years was the lack of professional tourism human resources. Most of the laborers in the tourism industry came from farmers, providing services based on experience, without formal training in service skills, communication or foreign languages... The 19th Provincial Party Congress set a goal: to build a tourism workforce with professional qualifications, foreign languages, and information technology, meeting the requirements of integration. The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism coordinated with tourism universities and colleges in Hanoi, Thai Nguyen, Lang Son, Vietnam Tourism Association... to open training courses for more than 800 people on short-term tourism, tour guide training, hotel management, communication skills, cooking; training in tourism statistical reporting, tax declaration, opening accounting books for tourism businesses, training in food preparation; training in basic tourism English...

The Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark Management Board mobilized and encouraged nearly 100 member partners to participate in community tourism training courses, seminars, field surveys of heritage sites to improve capacity, study in neighboring provinces of Ha Giang (old), Lang Son, Quang Ninh, Hoa Binh (old), Son La... to develop community tourism; propagate and educate about the Geopark for individuals and communities in the heritage area.

Some localities have proactively funded and coordinated with the Vietnam Tourism Association and experts to train Tay ethnic households doing homestay in Khuoi Ky stone village (Dam Thuy), Nung An ethnic group in Phja Thap incense village (Quang Uyen), Dao Tien ethnic group, Hoai Khao DLCĐ village (Thanh Cong)... on skills of receiving guests, cooking, performing arts... Thereby, ethnic minorities know how to professionally receive guests, sing Then - Tinh lute, perform housing space from indigenous culture, communicate in basic English... This is a positive signal, because people are the decisive factor in tourists' satisfaction and return.

The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism organized the Cao Bang Food Fair in cultural events at Kim Dong Walking Street, attracting many tourists to experience.

Product diversification - exploiting specific advantages

In the past 5 years, a series of new tourism products have been born, contributing to enriching the local tourism picture. Community tourism models such as homestay in Khuoi Ky stone village, Phja Thap incense making village, Pac Rang blacksmith village (Quang Uyen commune), Community tourism in Dao Tien village in Hoai Khao hamlet (Quang Thanh) ... have become favorite destinations for domestic and foreign tourists. Eco-tourism - discovery also developed strongly with trekking tours on Phja Oac mountain, kayaking on Quay Son river at Lan's Nung Homestay, Nasan Homestay; visiting the cave system in the UNESCO Global Geopark Non Nuoc Cao Bang. Besides, cultural - historical tourism still holds an important position, through the journey "back to the source of Pac Bo", visiting Tran Hung Dao forest, combined with traditional festivals. Culinary tourism with tours to experience making banh khao, banh cuon trung, enjoying 7-flavor roasted duck, and pho chua leaves an unforgettable impression on tourists.

In particular, the model of “One craft village, one tourism product” is being researched and initially implemented by all levels, departments and branches. This is a new direction to link tourism with the development of traditional craft villages: blacksmithing, incense making, paper making and special agricultural products such as Phja Den vermicelli, Trung Khanh chestnuts, black jelly of Thach An commune, leaf-fermented wine of the Nung people in Luc Khu region... When a product is both a commercial commodity and a tourism experience, the value is doubled: tourists not only buy it as a gift but also directly participate in the production process, thereby understanding more about the local culture. This not only creates unique products for tourism but also contributes to bringing sustainable livelihoods to the people.

Many tourists have interesting experiences when participating in this type of activity. Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, a tourist from Hanoi, excitedly expressed: Coming to Ha Quang, I got to make egg rolls, enjoy the hot taste and listen to the host tell stories about customs and practices, I feel the trip is much more meaningful. Cao Bang not only has beautiful scenery, but also has a treasure trove of vibrant indigenous culture.

Product diversification not only helps to increase tourism attraction, but also creates more jobs and increases income for the community. According to statistics from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the community tourism sites in Quang Uyen, Nguyen Binh and Dam Thuy communes alone attract tens of thousands of visitors/year, bringing in an income of 60-80 million VND/household/year for the people. This is a clear demonstration of the effectiveness of the direction of "diversifying products - exploiting specific advantages", a strategic step for Cao Bang tourism to affirm its position on the tourism map of Vietnam and the world.

From the brand "Non nuoc Cao Bang" to an international destination

An important highlight in the Resolution of the 19th Provincial Party Congress is to build and promote the Cao Bang tourism brand, associated with the UNESCO Global Geopark Non Nuoc Cao Bang. This is not only an economic development orientation, but also a strategy to affirm the province's position on the regional and world tourism map.

In recent years, the brand “Non nuoc Cao Bang” has gradually reached out internationally. 5 tourist routes to experience the Geopark associated with the majestic beauty of Ban Gioc waterfall, the magical Nguom Ngao cave, the Mountain God's Eye, the poetic Thang Hen lake, Then singing - Tinh lute, cuisine, the sacred Pac Bo historical relic have appeared on major foreign television channels, and many prestigious travel magazines. The Ban Gioc waterfall tourism festival, Pac Bo festival... are held annually, becoming national cultural - tourism events, attracting tens of thousands of domestic and foreign tourists. Thereby, the image of Cao Bang is not only positioned as a hospitable borderland, but also as a safe destination rich in cultural identity.

Festivals are held annually, attracting domestic and foreign tourists.

That influence is also multiplied by diversifying tourism products. Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark tourism routes with historical relic tourism, combined with cultural tourism experiences of Tay, Nung, Dao Tien, Lo Lo and traditional craft villages have become attractive choices for tourists. Trekking tours of Phja Oac, kayaking on Quay Son River, or visiting caves have created many new experiences, helping tourists stay longer in this land.

According to Mr. Guy Martini, Secretary General of the UNESCO Global Geopark Network, during his working trip to Cao Bang in February 2025, “Cao Bang is a natural and cultural treasure of the world. The valuable point is that the province has made efforts to combine tourism development with conservation and gradually bring this brand to the international market. If it continues to invest in creative communication, Cao Bang can become Asia's leading destination for geological and cultural tourism”.

Along with traditional promotion, the province also promotes digital transformation in tourism. Cao Bang tourism electronic information portal, digital maps, and smart tourism applications help tourists easily search for information and book services. Businesses and households are encouraged to use social networking platforms and e-commerce platforms to promote homestays, cuisine, and OCOP products associated with tourism. This not only creates a new access channel but also spreads the image of Cao Bang to a large number of domestic and foreign customers.

Mr. Michael Brown, a British tourist shared: I am really impressed with the way Cao Bang preserves its pristine landscape while still developing modern tourism. The Mountain God's Eye is incredibly beautiful, but what I will always remember is the friendliness of the people and the authentic cultural experiences in the villages.

Creating sustainable livelihoods for ethnic minorities

After nearly 5 years of implementing the Resolution of the 19th Provincial Party Congress, the Cao Bang tourism industry has created strategic changes, contributing to creating new livelihoods for thousands of workers, shifting the economic structure and improving people's lives, especially ethnic minorities in remote and isolated areas.

In particular, in the UNESCO Global Geopark Non Nuoc Cao Bang, community homestay business models are developing, creating sustainable livelihoods. There are more than 50 indigenous homestays in operation, contributing to increasing household income 3-4 times compared to traditional farming. Farmers across the region actively produce more than 100 OCOP products, including more than 40 high-quality OCOP products for tourism...

According to Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Hai Hoa, tourism must put people at the center: When people clearly benefit, they will become active subjects in protecting heritage and developing the tourism industry. That is the way for Cao Bang to both grow its economy and preserve its identity.

To realize the aspiration of turning tourism into a spearhead economic sector, Cao Bang focuses on promoting three pillars at the same time: Professional human resources - diverse products - building a strong brand are three solid pillars - the key for Cao Bang tourism to not only stop at potential, but also reach out to the international market, becoming an attractive destination domestically and internationally.

Final episode: Tourism - a driving force for socio-economic development, realizing the Resolution of the 19th Congress

Truong Ha School

Source: https://baocaobang.vn/du-lich-cao-bang-khat-vong-but-pha-tu-nghi-quyet-dai-hoi-xix-ky-4-3181317.html