Bringing tourism to the forefront after merger

The merger of Ha Nam, Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh opens up many new opportunities for socio-economic development in general and the tourism industry in particular. When "under one roof", the new province will create a strong lever to connect tours and routes, build inter-regional products, improve service quality and promote the image of local tourism. From there, awakening the untapped potentials, making the tourism "triangle" increasingly develop.

Ninh Binh tourism businesses exchange experiences and survey products and services in Nam Dinh . Photo: Ngoc Linh

Link to develop

Ha Nam , Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh are three adjacent localities, with many similarities in culture, beliefs, landscapes and historical traditions. If Ninh Binh is famous for Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex - World Cultural and Natural Heritage; Ha Nam has Tam Chuc Pagoda, one of the largest pagodas in the world, Nam Dinh also owns the Tran Temple relic site, Phu Day complex, Keo Hanh Thien Pagoda and a coastline of over 70 km with potential for sea tourism and resorts.

According to statistics from the functional sector, the 3 provinces own a large number of relics with more than 5,000 relics of all kinds, including 8 special national relics, 265 national relics, 784 provincial relics, dozens of national treasures and groups of treasures. In recent years, the tourism sector of the 3 localities has proactively coordinated to implement many activities of linkage and cooperation in tourism development. From surveying to build tours and inter-provincial routes, organizing tourism promotion conferences, signing regional cooperation agreements, participating in domestic and foreign fairs and seminars, to coordinating product promotion on digital platforms and mass media. Typical activities are the survey and product introduction activities of the Tourism Association of the 3 provinces in recent times.

Ms. Duong Thi Thanh, President of Ninh Binh Tourism Association, said: Tourism is a comprehensive economic sector, which not only requires effective linkage between sectors but also requires effective cooperation between localities and enterprises. In the past time, Ninh Binh Tourism Association has coordinated with Nam Dinh Tourism Association and Ha Nam Tourism Association to organize dozens of delegations to survey, introduce and promote products, destinations and restaurants between localities. As a result, after surveys and product introductions, enterprises of the 3 provinces have had the opportunity to learn and cooperate effectively in tourism service business activities such as: Building tours and routes, typically the Tam Chuc-Trang An-Phu Day tour, sharing customer sources, coordinating to book hotel services, transportation vehicles, tour guides, etc.

Ms. Bui Thi Nhan, Director of Ecohost Investment Consulting Joint Stock Company (Nam Dinh) shared: Currently, tourists tend to explore many destinations within a short radius, prioritizing tourism products with cultural content and diverse experiences, therefore, the connection and cooperation between businesses and destinations in the 3 provinces has helped travel companies easily build experience itineraries that both meet the needs of tourists and promote tourism development in the localities. Since 2024, the Company has cooperated with more than 15 travel companies, accommodations, and restaurants in Ha Nam and Ninh Binh in exchanging, welcoming and serving guests.

Local Brand

Key to development Although having great potential for tourism development, according to many experts, tourism in the Ha Nam, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh regions still has many limitations such as: Unsynchronized infrastructure, duplicated products, lack of depth, lack of high-class services and limited human resources quality. To exploit and promote effectively the potential and strengths, becoming a national and international tourism center, Mr. Nguyen Van Tai, CEO of VietSense Travel, Head of the Travel Department (UNESCO Travel Club Hanoi) said: A destination cannot rely solely on beautiful scenery or relics. Modern tourists need a comprehensive experience: sightseeing, resting, shopping, eating, playing, and entertaining. All of these factors determine the length of stay, spending level and the ability to return.

The three provinces after the merger have a great opportunity to establish a complete service chain, overcoming the limitations of tourism in the three provinces. We need to build interconnected routes and continuous tourism itineraries so that the resources of each locality do not overlap but support each other. To do so, there must be harmonious investment in connecting infrastructure, avoiding the situation where each does its own thing... The problem is how to connect and highlight the strengths of tourism in the three provinces in a unified tourism ecosystem. It is not only a matter of product planning, but also a matter of regional brand building. The tourism industry of the three provinces must determine what the new brand will represent? What are the highlights and differences? What are the values ​​that tourists will remember and return to? And once determined, promotion and advertising must be stepped up. Along with that, there is constant investment, innovation and "improvement" of products.

Comrade Bui Van Manh, Director of Ninh Binh Department of Tourism said: In the coming time, tourism in the three provinces needs to position a common destination brand at the national and regional level. Ninh Binh tourism brand has developed strongly and been affirmed in the tourism market, so it will continue to maintain and develop the "Ninh Binh" tourism brand in combination with the image brand of typical and typical tourist destinations of Ha Nam and Nam Dinh (such as Tam Chuc - Tran Temple - Phu Day - Thanh Long - Giao Thuy ...) to build a comprehensive, multi-faceted, and unique brand with the characteristics of a 4-season tourist destination with many types and tourism products from historical culture, forest ecology, spiritual marine ecology ...

In addition, it is necessary to research, review, investigate, and re-evaluate tourism resources; plan and organize tourism development spaces to ensure synchronization and connection of development spaces to create a complementary tourism development triangle. Prioritize investment in developing inter-regional tourism transport infrastructure; encourage investment attraction in developing tourism facilities and services; train and develop tourism human resources in various forms of joint ventures and associations; promote domestic and international promotion activities, effectively exploit digital platforms and digital information systems to attract visitors.

The merger of Ha Nam, Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh is not only an opportunity to reshape the territorial space but also to rewrite the tourism map with a new regional mindset, connection and sustainable development. With its own potential and strengths, it is believed that in the near future, this area can become a prominent tourism growth point of the region and the whole country, becoming an attractive, quality and classy destination for domestic and international tourists.

Minh Hai

Source: https://baoninhbinh.org.vn/dua-du-lich-but-pha-sau-sap-nhap-236794.htm