Son La - Hua Phan strengthen cooperation to develop tourism

Conference scene. Photo: Linh Tam

Attending the conference were representatives of the leaders of the two provinces of Hua Phan (Laos) and Son La (Vietnam), representatives of departments, branches, units, Tourism Association, Business Association, UNESCO Hanoi Travel Club and more than 100 tourism businesses, travel agencies, reporters from central and local newspapers and radio stations of the two countries Vietnam - Laos and the two provinces of Son La - Hua Phan.

Performance by artists from Hua Phan province at the conference. Photo: Linh Tam

Speaking at the conference, Comrade Phut Phan - Keo Vong Xay, Deputy Governor of Hua Phan Province, said: This conference is of great significance because it is held on the occasion of the 69th anniversary of the founding of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, contributing to the activities of the Lao Tourism Year 2024 of Hua Phan Province; strengthening cooperation, promoting tourism products, attracting more and more tourists from Hua Phan Province to Son La and vice versa. At the same time, it creates opportunities for tourism businesses of the two provinces to meet, exchange information on tourism, and tourism services are increasingly of better quality.

Deputy Governor of Hua Phan Phut Phan - Keo Vong Xay delivered the opening speech at the conference. Photo: Linh Tam

Hua Phan is a province with many rich tourism resources such as natural, historical and cultural tourism resources. Tourism is identified as one of the 5 potential industries contributing to the socio -economic development of the province. Hua Phan currently has 158 tourist attractions, including 64 natural tourist attractions, 30 cultural tourist attractions and 64 historical tourist attractions.

At the conference, tourism businesses of Son La and Hua Phan provinces exchanged, provided information and introduced tourism products, proposed content for tourism development linkage, and built Son La - Hua Phan tourism tours; at the same time, discussed solutions to remove difficulties and obstacles in administrative procedures, immigration procedures... to create favorable conditions for tourism development and linkage activities for tourism development in Son La - Hua Phan.

Vietnamese tourists visit Kaysone Phomvihane relic site. Photo: Linh Tam

In 2023, Hua Phan province welcomed 45,496 tourists, including 15,071 domestic tourists and 30,425 foreign tourists, with total tourism revenue reaching 32 billion kip; of which Vietnamese tourists topped the number of foreign tourists to Hua Phan province with 21,395 arrivals. In contrast, in 2023, there were 7,213 visitors from Hua Phan province to Son La province.

Comrade Trang Thi Xuan, Permanent Vice Chairwoman of Son La Provincial People's Committee shared: In recent years, cooperation activities in economic, cultural, social, defense and security development between Vietnam - Laos, Son La - Hua Phan have been continuously improved and achieved important results; cooperation, cultural exchange and tourism development have been increasingly expanded.

In the future, the Long Sap and Pa Hang border gates will officially become international border gates; Moc Chau (Son La) was recognized by the World Travel Awards as "The World's Leading Regional Natural Destination", Moc Chau will be officially recognized as a National Tourist Area; Son La is striving to become a tourist center of the Northwest region of Vietnam. In 2023, Son La welcomed 4.65 million visitors, many of whom wanted to experience and visit Son La - Hua Phan to learn about the culture and people of Hua Phan, and the image of "Beautiful Sam Neua Girl".

At the conference, a signing ceremony of cooperation between Vietnamese and Lao tourism enterprises also took place, including 5 Vietnamese enterprises: Moc Chau Island Tourist Area, Pha Luong Tourism Joint Stock Company, Happyland Moc Chau Tourist Destination, Lam Huy Travel Trading and Tourism Company Limited, Moc Chau Moc Media and Tourism Joint Stock Company...

The famtrip group took photos at the Kaysone Phomvihane relic site. Photo: Linh Tam

Within the framework of the event, from March 19 to 22, nearly 50 tourism and travel businesses belonging to the Unesco Travel Club of Hanoi and Son La province participated in a famtrip program to survey a number of tourist destinations in Hua Phan province such as: Kaysone Phomvihane relic site, Tay ethnic museum, Ong Tu pagoda, Friendship Park... to build tours and destinations connecting Hanoi with the two provinces of Son La - Hua Phan.

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