Solving the autumn-winter tourism challenge in Ha Tinh

(Baohatinh.vn) - The subdued atmosphere of tourism in Ha Tinh during the autumn and winter months has become a familiar refrain. Despite efforts by businesses and tourism establishments to find new directions, there is still a lack of distinctive products with sufficient appeal.

Struggling to find the product

Following recent typhoons No. 5 and No. 10, the number of tourists visiting and staying at tourist areas and attractions in the province has decreased sharply. This is not a temporary phenomenon, despite the impact of natural disasters, but a recurring pattern over many years. "Low season"—a familiar term used by those in the tourism industry for this period—reflects the scarcity of characteristic products suitable for the autumn-winter weather.

As September arrived, coastal tourist areas and destinations like Thien Cam gradually saw fewer visitors.

Mr. Le Ngoc Doan, Director of Viet Holiday Trading and Tourism Company Limited, shared: “Last week, I surveyed many tourist destinations in the province to find products to connect with tour groups, but the results were not as expected. We really want to bring tourists to Ha Tinh , but currently there are no outstanding products that are attractive enough to retain visitors.”

According to Mr. Doan, in the last months of the year, tourism in Ha Tinh mainly relies on spiritual and cultural activities, but the accompanying services are still limited and of low quality. In reality, famous destinations such as Cui Temple, Huong Tich Pagoda, and Che Thang Phu Nhan Nguyen Thi Bich Chau Temple still attract a large number of pilgrims at the end of the year, but most tourists only visit and then leave.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Duc ( Hanoi ) shared: "Every year we go to Huong Tich Pagoda and Cui Temple, but we usually stay in Nghe An because there are no suitable accommodations around the pagoda, and if we stay there, we don't know where to go or what to do."

In the final months of the year, Ha Tinh's tourism is bustling with cultural and spiritual tourism, but it still lacks attractive products to encourage visitors to stay longer.

The lack of new and attractive products is causing many businesses to struggle. The owner of an eco-tourism resort in Thach Xuan commune expressed: “We want to create unique products for this season, but investing individually is not enough. Forming a product chain requires regional cooperation and significant costs. Without a common regional product, it is very difficult to retain tourists.”

Synchronization and connectivity are needed.

Currently, some establishments have proactively shifted their focus to products adapted to the seasons. Leveraging the historical site of the renowned physician Hai Thuong Lan Ong Le Huu Trac, the Hai Thuong Cultural and Ecological Tourist Area (Huong Son commune) has developed tourism products focused on healing and health care based on traditional medicine, such as mineral mud baths, herbal steam baths, wellness programs, and unique medicinal cuisine.

Mineral mud baths are one of the main products of the Hai Thuong cultural and ecological tourist area (Huong Son commune).

To adapt to the seasons, Song Lam Waterfront Hotel (Nghi Xuan) has invested in a complex of services including: specialty restaurants, karaoke, a spa area, a pickleball court, etc., and at the same time, it anticipates the needs of pilgrims, so the hotel remains bustling with activity.

Thanks to its investment in entertainment products and various services, Song Lam Waterfront Hotel is a highlight attracting visitors during the autumn and winter seasons, including many foreign tourists.

In the Xuan Thanh tourist area, golf tourism during the autumn and winter seasons has been opening up new prospects in the last 2-3 years. Mr. Vo Huy Tuan, CEO of Muong Thanh Luxury Xuan Thanh Hotel, said: “From October to December each year, we regularly welcome over 2,000 international guests, mainly from South Korea. They not only play golf but also experience the local culture. Thanks to this, the hotel maintains stable operations during the off-season.”

Despite some positive aspects, experts believe that models like Hai Thuong, Muong Thanh - Xuan Thanh, or Song Lam Waterfront are still small-scale, lack connectivity, and have not yet formed a distinctive flagship product for tourism in Ha Tinh.

In fact, the Ha Tinh tourism industry has repeatedly organized workshops, seminars, field surveys, and invited experts to provide input in order to find solutions to the "off-season" problem. However, most of these efforts have remained at the idea stage; or have lacked coordination between management agencies, businesses, and the local community.

The scientific workshop on Sustainable Green Tourism Development in Ha Tinh was organized by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in coordination with the Provincial Tourism Association at the end of 2024.

Mr. Nguyen Tien Trinh, Chairman of the Young Entrepreneurs Association and General Director of Thanh Sen Tourism Company, commented: “Despite unfavorable weather conditions, Ha Tinh still has the potential to develop strong autumn-winter tourism products based on its cultural and scenic resources. The important thing is that businesses must boldly invest and create innovative ideas, and the government needs to create support mechanisms to form a diverse and attractive product ecosystem.”

Despite unfavorable weather conditions, Ha Tinh still possesses significant cultural and scenic potential to develop strong autumn-winter tourism products. Photo: Da Bac Eco-tourism area at night - Nguyen Thanh Hai.

Given that coastal tourism is only vibrant for 4-5 months a year, developing autumn-winter tourism products has become a pressing need to ensure sustainable growth. Ha Tinh has a significant advantage in tourism types suitable for the cold climate, such as ecotourism, spiritual tourism, and health and wellness tourism. With proper investment, inter-regional connectivity with neighboring provinces, and effective stimulus policies and communication, winter can absolutely become a "profitable season" for Ha Tinh tourism.

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/giai-bai-toan-du-lich-mua-thu-dong-o-ha-tinh-post297077.html