After the merger, Ninh Binh is full of promise for international tourism.

With many similarities and diverse natural and cultural resources, after the merger, Ninh Binh province is expected to become a new growth pole of Vietnamese tourism.

Ninh Binh now owns the two largest pagodas in Vietnam: Bai Dinh Pagoda and Tam Chuc Pagoda, opening up the potential for developing spiritual tourism products - Photo: NGUYEN HIEN

On May 30, at the Ha Nam Tourism Development Investment Promotion Conference in 2025, experts pointed out the potential, strengths and solutions for the new Ninh Binh with the merger of the three provinces of Ha Nam, Ninh Binh and Nam Dinh to bring local tourism to new heights.

The scope and position of the new Ninh Binh

According to Mr. Bui Van Manh - Director of Ninh Binh Department of Tourism, when the three provinces of Ha Nam, Ninh Binh, and Nam Dinh merge, it will create a new space for tourism development.

The new Ninh Binh is strategically located south of Hanoi, connecting major traffic axes of both road and rail.

The three provinces are all homelands with long-standing cultural traditions, with more than 5,000 historical relics, 743 traditional festivals, three national intangible heritages and the Trang An world cultural and natural heritage.

Along with that, Ninh Binh's natural resources are unique and diverse with a coastline of about 90km, famous hot mineral springs...

In total, the three localities currently have about 1,500 accommodation establishments with 20,000 rooms. Each province has affirmed its position on the national tourism map.

Tam Coc fields on the Ngo Dong River are a favorite destination for international tourists - Photo: NAM TRAN

Of the three provinces, Ninh Binh is a destination with a strong brand on the domestic and regional tourism map, highly appreciated by international tourism experts. Ha Nam is an emerging destination with cultural tourism products. Nam Dinh has great potential for ecological, cultural and marine tourism, but the level of tourism development is still limited.

Speaking at the conference, Mr. Tran Dinh Thien - former director of the Vietnam Economic Institute - assessed that the tourism resources of the new Ninh Binh province will be enormous, especially with cultural and spiritual tourism products.

With large pagodas such as Bai Dinh (Ninh Binh), Tam Chuc (Ha Nam) connecting with the Huong Son relic and scenic complex (Hanoi), they will become heritage roads, making Ninh Binh a new Buddhist coordinate.

Besides, the land of Ha Nam - Nam Dinh - Ninh Binh has a long-standing historical heritage associated with the Dinh and Tran dynasties. If we know how to do it, approach and build suitable tourism products, it will create the scope and position of Ninh Binh tourism to have great competitiveness.

Attracting more international tourists to the new Ninh Binh after the merger - Photo: NAM TRAN

Making Ninh Binh a new tourism growth pole

Merging three provinces brings new development space, but also poses many challenges in linking tourism development.

From a management perspective, Director of Ninh Binh Department of Tourism Bui Van Manh pointed out three common limitations and challenges for tourism development in the new Ninh Binh.

The first limitation lies in the intra-regional and inter-regional transport infrastructure. Although it has been improved, the connection between tourist areas and destinations of the three provinces is still fragmented, causing tourists to spend a lot of time traveling.

Second, the tourism human resources of the three provinces are still weak and lacking, especially the workforce with vocational skills and good foreign language ability.

Third, tourism products in the three provinces are still monotonous, lacking products with unique materials and cultural depth of each locality.

According to Mr. Manh, to effectively exploit and promote the tourism potential and strengths of the three localities, promote strong tourism development in the coming time, and become national and international tourism centers, it is necessary to implement synchronous solutions.

Positioning the new Ninh Binh destination brand, building a colorful destination, a four-season destination. Connecting tourism development spaces along axes.

Mr. Truong Quoc Huy - Provincial Party Secretary, Chairman of Ha Nam Provincial People's Committee - said that in the coming time, Ha Nam as well as the three localities will be connected by roads and tourism products.

Through culturally and historically knowledgeable tour guides, each tourist destination is a story associated with the local culture and history.

Ha Nam still lacks branded, international-class accommodations, which is a barrier to welcoming international visitors to the locality. In the coming time, the province will have many policies to attract investors.

With the current growth rate, the total number of visitors to the three provinces is estimated to reach nearly 15 million, including more than 2 million international visitors. Revenue from tourism activities is expected to reach over 13,400 billion VND.

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NGUYEN HIEN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/sau-sap-nhap-ninh-binh-moi-day-hua-hen-voi-du-lich-tam-quoc-te-20250530162012252.htm