Abundant resources
Mr. Nguyen Van Hong carefully read each introductory line on the display panel at Hoi An Prison. Beside him, several tourists were also focused on looking at the old, blurry black-and-white photographs. They were all elderly people.
These documents were displayed at Hoi An Prison by the Hoi An Cultural Heritage Conservation Management Center in coordination with the Hoa Lo Prison Relic Management Board ( Hanoi ), to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the Day of War Invalids and Martyrs and the 57th anniversary of the liberation of Hoi An Prison (July 14, 1967 - July 14, 2024).
"I think all these documents and images are very valuable because they not only provide information for today's generation but also contribute to making the Hoi An Prison historical site an attractive 'red address' for locals and tourists to visit," Mr. Hong commented.
The Hoi An Prison is a rare historical revolutionary site in Hoi An that attracts tourists. Mr. Nguyen Van Lanh, Vice Chairman of the Hoi An City People's Committee, stated that the locality has implemented several solutions to develop historical tourism at the Bay Mau coconut forest revolutionary base (Thanh Nhut hamlet, Cam Thanh commune). However, the organization has not been systematic (only focusing on experiencing the riverine landscape), leading to low exploitation efficiency.
“The city will soon launch a separate revolutionary tourism tour connecting the coconut forest and the Tra Que revolutionary base (Cam Ha commune), including the Hoi An prison in the tour package… In general, the idea is already there; now we just need to resolve some issues regarding land and investment,” Mr. Lanh added.
In fact, heritage tourism is not new. In some localities, this type of tourism is very popular. However, in Quang Nam, the effectiveness of its exploitation has been largely unmet.
Not only in Hoi An, but it's easy to see that most revolutionary relics in the province, such as the Ky Anh Tunnel, the Monument to the Heroic Mother of Vietnam (Tam Ky), the Zone V Party Committee (Hiep Duc), Hon Tau Base (Duy Xuyen), and the Central Central Vietnam Revolutionary Historical Site - Nuoc Oa (Bac Tra My)... are often deserted. Even some sites like the Zone V Party Committee or the Central Central Vietnam Revolutionary Historical Site - Nuoc Oa, which are considered to have great potential and advantages in terms of historical value and natural landscape, have not yet been able to attract tourists.
Picky customers
Mr. Le Quoc Viet, Chairman of the Quang Nam Destination Club, observed that heritage tourism has not yet received adequate investment from the locality, has not been widely promoted, and, in particular, lacks connectivity in terms of transportation infrastructure.
“This type of tourism is very niche because it focuses on a specific target group such as students, veterans, etc., and even fewer international tourists, except for a few foreign veterans who want to return to visit their old battlefields. Besides, most historical sites are far away and inconvenient to access, making tour organization and coordination difficult, so businesses are not enthusiastic about it. Not to mention, the brands of Hoi An and My Son are so prominent that businesses and tourists don't pay enough attention to heritage tourism,” Mr. Viet analyzed.
Travel businesses also suggest that, in order to promote heritage tourism in Quang Nam, the locality should select a number of typical destinations to create unique tours targeting specific types of tourists.
Historical sites serve as places to commemorate and honor our ancestors and those who sacrificed for national independence. Developing tourism here would contribute to enhancing the value of the destination and educating the public, especially the younger generations, about revolutionary traditions.
Mr. Van Ba Son, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that Quang Nam always encourages and connects with heritage tourism. However, this type of tourism is quite selective in terms of customers, so it requires coordination from local authorities, the tourism industry, businesses, and even some relevant departments. This connection will build a more complete product with an ecosystem of supporting services to meet the needs of tourists.
"State investment exists, but we haven't really been able to connect these points into a complete tour route. Therefore, business participation is crucial; of course, businesses will only be confident if there is a customer base," Mr. Son said.
Synchronized solutions have been proposed, with the first step being connecting transportation infrastructure. Mr. Son added that it is necessary to improve essential services and select a few prominent points with convenient transportation connections to create a complete tour package. In particular, it is crucial to attract businesses to boldly invest in building a chain of interconnected activities ranging from sightseeing and shopping to cultural and culinary experiences.
"Quang Nam is coordinating with the Institute for Tourism Development Research (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) to build a unified mechanism to effectively promote the value of historical and cultural relics as educational tourism destinations," Mr. Son added.
Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/khoang-trong-du-lich-ve-nguon-3138664.html
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