Creating appeal for spiritual tourism.

Việt Nam•09/03/2024

Tourists visit Tam Chuc Pagoda ( Ha Nam province).

"Gold mine" attracts tourists.

Vietnam boasts over 41,000 historical sites and nearly 9,000 festivals, providing abundant resources for promoting cultural tourism , including spiritual tourism. Since the beginning of the year, tours to temples, pagodas, and historical sites have been very popular. Among these, spiritual tourism destinations such as Huong Pagoda (Hanoi), Hung Temple (Phu Tho), Yen Tu (Quang Ninh), Bai Dinh Pagoda (Ninh Binh), Phu Day and Tran Temple (Nam Dinh), Tam Chuc Pagoda (Ha Nam), and Ba Chua Xu Temple (An Giang) are attracting many visitors.

Prior to the Lunar New Year, many travel agencies offered spiritual tourism packages priced from a few hundred thousand to several million dong. Specifically, a tour to Tam Chuc Pagoda (Ha Nam) on Saturdays and Sundays cost 550,000 dong per person; a tour to Yen Tu and Dong Pagoda (Quang Ninh) cost 900,000 dong per person; a tour to Bai Dinh and Trang An (Ninh Binh) cost 700,000 dong per person... Some day tours in Hanoi, such as Huong Pagoda (My Duc), Non Nuoc Pagoda - Viet Phu Thanh Chuong (Soc Son), and Tram Gian Pagoda - Tram Pagoda (Chuong My), cost 500,000-750,000 dong per person...

Recognizing spiritual tourism as a "gold mine" for attracting tourists, for many years, localities have proactively planned innovations in organizing traditional festivals and cultural activities associated with spiritual tourism to increase attractiveness and make it more convenient for visitors. At the Yen Tu Festival (Quang Ninh), in addition to the main ceremony, there are activities such as ringing bells, beating drums, and offering blessings at the beginning of the year; the Tam Chuc Pagoda Festival (Ha Nam) organizes an elaborate water procession ritual; and the Huong Pagoda Festival (Hanoi) professionalizes electric vehicle services and electronic ticket sales...

According to the Vietnam National Tourism Administration (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), this year's festival season saw good preparations by localities in terms of management, organization, communication, and promotion. Therefore, spiritual tourism activities contributed significantly to the increase in visitor numbers. For example, Hanoi welcomed over 2.1 million visitors in February 2024, a 7.1% increase compared to the same period in 2023, with a large proportion of visitors coming for spiritual tourism; Ninh Binh province welcomed nearly 1.92 million visitors, a 56.3% increase compared to the same period last year; and Lao Cai province hopes that spiritual tourism will help it achieve its target of welcoming 8.5 million visitors in 2024...

To have a bountiful harvest in all four seasons.

According to experts, spiritual tourism is a growing trend and a strength being exploited by many countries, becoming a major tourism product generating significant revenue, such as India, Bhutan, and Thailand. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Director of the Institute for Tourism Development Research (Vietnam National Tourism Administration), believes that Vietnam possesses many potentials and strengths, reflected in its rich culture and year-round folk festivals associated with religion and beliefs. Furthermore, the demand for tourism and pilgrimages has become a driving force behind the development of spiritual tourism. If properly exploited, spiritual tourism will be attractive not only to domestic tourists but also to international visitors.

Sharing this view, the Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, Vu The Binh, stated that spiritual tourism is a very attractive and distinctive cultural product of Vietnam. The number of tourists participating in spiritual tourism accounts for a significant proportion of the total number of tourists.

Although considered a highly attractive product line, experts also note that spiritual tourism in Vietnam remains seasonal, with a high concentration of visitors at the beginning and end of the year.

To attract tourists and effectively exploit the "gold mine" of spiritual tourism, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Travel Association, Phung Quang Thang, suggested that localities need to have well-planned investments in outstanding festivals and spiritual sites, creating unique brands. In addition, it is necessary to promote festivals held in the summer and autumn. According to Le Hong Thai, Director of Hanoitourist Travel Company (Hanoi Tourism Corporation), tourists tend to visit multiple sites for worship; therefore, localities need close cooperation with travel agencies to develop attractive, all-inclusive spiritual tourism packages with diverse experiences for visitors.

In Hanoi, cultural tourism, including spiritual tourism, has always been considered a strength of the capital's tourism. According to the Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism, Dang Huong Giang, the Department always urges localities to pay attention to and continuously upgrade the quality of services, innovate cultural tourism products with many attractive experiences; and strengthen the promotion and dissemination of the beautiful cultural and traditional values from festivals, historical sites, and heritage. “In the coming time, Hanoi tourism will continue to strengthen links with localities such as Ninh Binh, Ha Nam, Bac Giang... contributing to helping travel agencies build effective and attractive tour products,” Ms. Dang Huong Giang said.

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