Developing tourism tours connecting the international tourist market from Hanoi to Lai Chau: Expanding cooperation, positioning international destinations rich in identity

This seminar was chaired by Deputy Director of Lai Chau Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Tran Quang Khang and Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Tourism Tran Trung Hieu, with the participation of representatives of more than 40 travel agencies specializing in the inbound market and representatives of press agencies. The seminar was also attended by representatives of departments, branches, localities and businesses of Lai Chau.

– On November 14, at Muong Thanh Hotel (Lai Chau), the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Lai Chau province coordinated with the Hanoi Department of Tourism to organize a seminar on “Promoting the development of tourism tours connecting the international tourist market from Hanoi to Lai Chau”, concluding the 4-day, 3-night survey trip of the group of travel agencies and media agencies.

The seminar "Promoting the development of tourism tours connecting the international tourist market from Hanoi to Lai Chau" took place on November 14 in Lai Chau .

Lai Chau – from a transit point to a destination rich in identity

This is not only a professional meeting, but also an important step to expand the tourism space of the Northwest region, laying the foundation for a long-term strategy to attract international visitors to Lai Chau - a land with many interesting things waiting to be discovered.

In his opening speech, the representative of the Lai Chau Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism opened with a suggestive comparison: Previously, tourists and travel agencies often only considered Lai Chau as a "stopover", as a transit point between two major tourist centers of the Northwest, Sapa (Lao Cai) and Dien Bien Phu.

But now, that position is changing. Lai Chau is rising to assert itself on the national tourism map, not by ostentation but by very real, very unique values, from majestic nature to the cultural depth of the ethnic communities.

Deputy Director of Lai Chau Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Tran Quang Khang delivered the opening speech .

In recent years, the locality has formed an increasingly diverse system of tourism products: Sin Suoi Ho - a community tourism village that meets ASEAN standards; Si Thau Chai - where visitors can experience paragliding over the valley and immerse themselves in the Red Dao culture; Lao Chai 1 - a beautiful community tourism village of the Mong ethnic group.

Rong May Glass Bridge, O Quy Ho Heaven Gate, Pu Sam Cap Cave... are also new symbols of adventure and discovery tourism. In addition, Pu Ta Leng Mountain with rhododendrons blooming like a bright red silk strip every spring, recognized as the place with the largest ancient rhododendron forest in Vietnam, is becoming a trekking spot of particular interest to international youth.

Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Tourism Tran Trung Hieu gave the opening speech, emphasizing the connection and cooperation between the two localities in welcoming international visitors .

Lai Chau currently has two tourist areas, 21 provincial-level tourist attractions, a network of more than 138 accommodation establishments and 150 restaurants with typical culinary flavors of the Mong, Dao, Thai, Ha Nhi ethnic groups, etc., an important foundation to welcome international visitors in the new period.

Not only that, dynamic infrastructure projects such as the Lai Chau – Lao Cai – Hanoi expressway or the Hoang Lien tunnel are about to be implemented, which will significantly shorten travel time from the capital to Lai Chau.

With the journey only a few hours away, Lai Chau will no longer be far away, but will become an ideal destination for tourists looking for originality, tranquility and difference.

Hanoi - an important hub to connect and spread the image of Lai Chau

In the strategy of attracting international visitors, Hanoi plays a special role: it is the gateway, the largest tourist reception center in the country, and the starting point of many journeys to explore Vietnam.

Therefore, the connection between Hanoi and Lai Chau is not only a normal cooperation but also a "strategic link" to bring international visitors to the Northwest region.

Mr. Tran Trung Hieu, Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Tourism at the Seminar also emphasized this, saying that the capital's travel businesses being able to directly survey and experience Lai Chau tourism products is an important condition to form truly connecting tours, in line with international trends.

Lai Chau has many pristine destinations with rich potential for developing adventure tourism, eco-tourism, and sports tourism .

At the seminar, Mr. Tran Trung Hieu, Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Tourism, emphasized that after 3 days of field survey, the most important next step is to discuss in depth the plan to exploit the Hanoi - Lai Chau tourism route, thereby forming truly attractive product packages for the international market.

He believes that to do this, it is necessary to analyze all four factors: Product - market - infrastructure - operation, ensuring that each tour is designed to meet the right needs, the right segment, has the ability to be commercialized and is suitable for the trend of green tourism and in-depth experiences.

According to Mr. Hieu, first of all, it is necessary to correctly identify the target market. Groups of European, North American, Australian, Japanese, Korean or ASEAN customers all have very different characteristics, interests and spending capacity.

European and American tourists often prefer pristine nature, trekking, experiencing indigenous cultures and less commercialized lands; while Northeast Asian tourists are more interested in unique landscapes, convenient services and short journeys.

Pu Sam Cap Cave, one of the attractive destinations of Lai Chau .

Regarding the accessibility of the destination, Mr. Hieu suggested that businesses discuss frankly the route and travel options from Hanoi to Lai Chau. The current route may go through Sa Pa, go through long mountain passes and have times when the weather is difficult, especially during the rainy season.

Real-time analysis, appropriate stops, suitable vehicles and backup plans are mandatory to ensure safety, a factor that international visitors put first.

In the content about tourism resources and products, the Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Tourism proposed to clarify the "real attraction" of Lai Chau, and pointed out the difference compared to other familiar destinations in the Northwest region.

Lai Chau has more original values, more genuine communities, more open landscapes and ethnic identity experiences are still preserved intact.

Survey team members at Pu Sam Cap cave .

He believes that it is necessary to connect those values ​​with the urban experience of Hanoi to create a journey that is full of Vietnamese nuances: both traditional and modern in the capital, and original and peaceful in the northern mountainous region.

Regarding operations and service standards, Mr. Hieu suggested that businesses carefully evaluate the quality of accommodation, hygiene, safety, insurance, tour guides and support equipment, ensuring that each tour put into operation meets international standards.

Along with that is the analysis of the seasons: good times, rainy season, cold season, how to adapt when the weather changes. This is important information to build a tour that is not only attractive but also safe and stable.

In addition to the product section, the representative of the Hanoi Department of Tourism also encouraged businesses to proactively discuss selling prices, cost structures, sample itineraries, sales channels and marketing strategies.

According to him, this is the right time to apply modern communication tools, such as short videos, QR codes, and specialized bilingual landing pages to reach international customers.

At the same time, it is necessary to determine the minimum standard conditions to launch the product and set clear goals: Each business participating in this survey will have a priority product on the Lai Chau route in its sales portfolio.

He said that the key task in the coming period is to step up support to promote and advertise Lai Chau to the international market from Hanoi, through the strength of the capital's tourism businesses, associations, and travel clubs.

Sin Suoi Ho villagers perform art performances for tourists visiting the village .

Connect and create new products

In an open but focused working space, delegates carefully analyzed both the advantages and disadvantages of building a tour connecting the two localities.

For businesses, Lai Chau is attractive for its pristine beauty, a tourism resource that many destinations are gradually losing.

They see great opportunities from authentic experiences in the community tourism villages of Sin Suoi Ho or Lao Chai 1, where tourists can live like locals, enjoy traditional cuisine, and listen to everyday stories that are rich in identity.

In addition, the Northwest mountainous region is always the “dream” of international tourists who want to conquer nature in a gentle but emotional way. However, the company also frankly pointed out the points that need to be improved.

Mr. Nguyen Tien Dat, Vice President of Hanoi Tourism Association, Director of AZA Tourism Company, commented that through the survey, it can be seen that Lao Chai 1 and Sin Suoi Ho villages are both very beautiful, attractive destinations for international visitors.

In addition, Mr. Dat also believes that Lai Chau needs to pay more attention to the safety factor for tourists. To attract international visitors and spread the image of Lai Chau more widely, continue to promote communication through travel agency channels, promote through official press agencies and social media.

A romantic scene at the destination of Lai Chau.

Ms. Dang Thi Tho, Chief Representative of Phoenix Voyages, suggested that there should be a medical hotline number because adventure, eco-tourism, sports and food tours at the destination can cause risks or incidents related to the health of tourists. Some places have environmental sanitation that does not meet the development needs.

Giving direct comments on the O Quy Ho tourist area, Ms. Tho frankly stated that the investment, planning, and design of this area is too messy, too much concrete, and lacks the unique national identity of the locality.

Mr. Duong Xuan Trang, Director of Mai Viet Travel Company, assessed that currently, the connection from Dien Bien and Lao Cai is not complete; the road to Lai Chau is too far, not convenient for tourists, and the stories about the destination are not attractive.

According to Mr. Trang, Lai Chau's destinations are truly pristine and preserve their culture well. However, to make visitors stay longer and spend more money, it is necessary to have a museum about Lai Chau's ethnic groups; preserve unique local markets; and build more convenient and luxurious accommodation facilities.

Many opinions also suggest that it is necessary to upgrade some accommodation services to international standards; it is necessary to add specialized experience packages, suitable for each customer segment, especially European customers - a group that often has high demands on uniqueness and sustainability.

In addition, it is necessary to promote destination communication through videos, clips, brochures and digital platforms. Those suggestions are all acknowledged by Lai Chau tourism industry with a receptive attitude.

Survey team at Si Thau Chai community tourism village .

New expectations for tourism in the Northwest region

Leaders of Lai Chau Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism affirmed that the comments at the Seminar will be selectively received and considered as a basis for the locality to continue advising the province to build projects to develop high-quality tourism products, targeting the international tourist market.

This is an important preparation step to spread the destination of Lai Chau, an original experience of the Northwest, where visitors find beauty not only in the landscape, but also in the people, culture and simple but vibrant stories.

Towards green, sustainable and culturally rich tourism, Lai Chau is facing a great opportunity to position itself as a destination for green tourism and community tourism, sustainable trends on the international tourism map.

When natural and cultural values ​​are preserved, respected and told in the modern language of media, Lai Chau will become a new bright spot of Vietnam tourism.

The discussion ended, but opened up many prospects for deeper cooperation between the two localities. With the determination of the management agency, the companionship of businesses and the spread of the media, the journey to bring Lai Chau closer to international tourists ahead is full of promise.

Source: Culture Newspaper

Source: http://sodulich.hanoi.gov.vn/phat-trien-tour-du-lich-ket-noi-thi-truong-khach-quoc-te-tu-ha-noi-den-lai-chau-mo-rong-hop-tac-dinh-vi-diem-den-quoc-te-giau-ban-sac.html