Developing tourism in Tay Ho district.

Developing diverse and unique forms of tourism .

In his opening remarks at the conference, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism, Tran Trung Hieu, stated: As the central district of Hanoi, Tay Ho has many potentials and advantages for tourism development. The area surrounding West Lake, with its long history, has given rise to many traditional crafts, is rich in valuable historical relics, and the infrastructure around West Lake, which the city has invested in, has contributed to enhancing its value and making Tay Ho district one of the most prominent tourist attractions in the capital.

Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Tourism Tran Trung Hieu delivered the opening remarks at the conference.

According to Mr. Tran Trung Hieu, the district has 126 accommodation establishments with 5,157 rooms, accounting for 3.4% of the total accommodation establishments in the city (including 2 five-star hotels, 1 four-star hotel, 1 three-star hotel, and 2 high-end 4-5 star tourist apartment complexes). Currently, four five-star hotel projects and one three-star hotel project are underway. Tay Ho District is also famous for its diverse and unique cuisine , notably products associated with the Tay Ho lotus brand.

Furthermore, based on Decision No. 02/2024/QD-UBND dated January 10, 2024, of the Hanoi People's Committee on the promulgation of regulations on the management and exploitation of West Lake, 12 types of services will be permitted to operate in the West Lake area. These include: operating tourist boats, canoes, and water bikes on the lake (without overnight stays); transporting passengers by water (in collaboration with international and domestic travel companies in the area); boating services (including stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, perixia, dragon boat rowing, and traditional boat rowing); windsurfing and sailing; diving; developing various cultural, performing arts, and sports tourism services; water music shows; hot air ballooning; paragliding; and operating a water golf practice range on the lake.

"This is a very favorable opportunity for Tay Ho district to develop diverse types of services and entertainment to complement traditional service products," said Mr. Tran Trung Hieu.

Bui Thi Lan Phuong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tay Ho District, Hanoi, shared this at the conference.

According to Bui Thi Lan Phuong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tay Ho District, Hanoi, in recent times, to exploit the potential and advantages of the relics, heritage sites, and traditional craft villages in the West Lake area to serve tourism development, Tay Ho District has issued and implemented the Project "Organizing a street art and culinary performance space in Tay Ho District" on Trinh Cong Son pedestrian street (Nhat Tan ward); the Quang An lotus tea tasting project; the "Nhat Tan peach blossom traditional craft village combined with tourism" and "Tu Lien kumquat growing craft village" projects; and the "Cultural tourism service point and introduction of the traditional craft of 'Do paper making' of the old Buoi region" project...

Furthermore, the district is also coordinating with the Hanoi Department of Tourism, the Hanoi City Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Center, and tourism businesses in the area to identify destination brands and develop spiritual tourism combined with visits to traditional craft villages. The district also recently inaugurated the OCOP product introduction center of the district and Hanoi city. This promises to be a stopover for tourists before heading to the airport. The district is also planning to develop night tours and semi-live tours to serve tourists.

In particular, according to Ms. Bui Thi Lan Phuong, Tay Ho district is also preparing a dossier to propose the recognition of the Tay Ho lotus tea-making craft as a national intangible cultural heritage. The district has a plan to expand the lotus cultivation area to 25 hectares and cultivate lotus year-round so that tourists visiting Tay Ho from January to December can admire the beauty, take photos with lotus flowers, and enjoy and purchase products made from lotus plants.

We need to establish close connections with travel businesses.

Despite the achievements, experts believe that the development of tourist destinations in Tay Ho district still faces some limitations.

According to Pham Duy Nghia, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi Travel Association: Although Tay Ho district has developed many unique types of tourism, the destinations in Tay Ho district have not received in-depth investment in quality. The historical sites are very distinctive but lack links with travel agencies to bring tourists. For example, some historical sites are closed on weekdays or are not enthusiastic about welcoming visitors.

Delegates shared their views at the conference.

Therefore, to improve the quality of tourism products and services in Tay Ho district, Mr. Pham Duy Nghia suggested: "Tourist attractions, historical sites, and travel businesses need to cooperate more closely. In addition, the floating boat business on West Lake has now stopped, and the focus is on developing sports tourism. Therefore, the government needs to call for in-depth investment from businesses with strong economic potential and vision to invest in high-quality tourism products and services to create highlights that attract tourists to experience."

Sharing the same view, Phung Quang Thang, Chairman of the Vietnam Green Tourism Association, said: "Tay Ho District has advantages for tourism development and is different from other districts of the capital with its unique natural landscapes and cultural values, along with the largest lake in Hanoi's inner city located next to the Red River. The road around West Lake could become a tourist route of the capital. Therefore, more attention needs to be paid to improving the environmental landscape to make the route clean and beautiful."

In particular, Tay Ho district should have long-term plans to create spacious parking areas in tourist zones and attractions to accommodate large groups of visitors. Furthermore, for cultural tourism, human guides are still more appealing than technology; therefore, training for tour guides and interpreters at these sites is necessary."

Conference space

According to Pham Hai Quynh, Director of the Asian Tourism Development Institute and President of the Vietnam Community Tourism Association: "If Tay Ho District wants to develop tourism, it needs to start by perfecting its products and services and establishing close connections with travel agencies. The Tay Ho District government can connect traditional craft households, businesses, areas, sites, and management boards of historical relics in the district with travel agencies to include them in City tours. When travel agencies, especially the local people, benefit, the unique traditional values ​​will be protected and create leverage for tourism to develop further."

Source: https://toquoc.vn/phat-trien-du-lich-quan-tay-ho-ha-noi-can-bat-tay-chat-che-voi-doanh-nghiep-lu-hanh-20240713150417717.htm