Promoting tourism development in Thanh border area

With the advantage of a long border, adjacent to Hua Phan province (Laos), it is a favorable condition for border districts of Thanh Hoa province to develop tourism, contributing to hunger eradication, poverty reduction, and maintaining national border security and sovereignty .

Bo Cung Cave is located in Chanh village, Son Thuy commune (Quan Son).

Exploiting potential for tourism development

Thanh Hoa has 213.6 km of land border, with 16 communes and towns in 5 districts of Quan Son, Quan Hoa, Muong Lat, Thuong Xuan, Lang Chanh bordering villages and hamlet clusters in Vieng Xay, Sop Bau, Sam To districts of Hua Phan province (Laos). Ethnic minorities living in mountainous and border districts have been joining hands to preserve unique traditional cultural identities as well as beautiful natural landscapes in villages and hamlets. Thanh Hoa also has 3 land border gates: Na Meo International Border Gate (Quan Son), Ten Tan National Border Gate (Muong Lat), Phu Kheo Border Gate (Thuong Xuan) and many trails and openings across the border. Many key traffic routes in the western mountainous districts have been invested and upgraded such as National Highway 15C, National Highway 217... These are favorable conditions to promote trade activities and develop tourism in the border areas. Many localities have focused on exploiting natural landscape tourism resources and traditional cultural values to form tourism products. Some attractive tourist destinations in the border area have been established, such as community tourism in Vin village, Bat Mot commune (Thuong Xuan); Ngam village, Son Dien commune (Quan Son); tourism at Na Meo international border gate (Quan Son), Ten Tan national border gate (Muong Lat); tourism to explore Bo Cung cave, Son Thuy commune (Quan Son)...

Going up the mountain to Quan Son highland district - a land of vast green forests with many historical and cultural relics, beautiful landscapes, and Na Meo international border gate. During a recent survey in the Bo Cung cave area, Son Thuy commune, Quan Son district, a large cave was discovered, about 400m long, the widest place about 60m, with many sparkling stalactites with beautiful shapes. To bring the newly discovered cave into service for tourism development, Quan Son district People's Committee invited the British Royal Cave Association in Vietnam to conduct a more in-depth survey, giving more accurate assessments, serving the conservation and sustainable exploitation of Bo Cung cave landscape. This is an important premise for Quan Son district to pay attention to investing in and building Bo Cung cave to become an attractive tourist destination. Currently, the district is promoting propaganda on mass media about the tourism potential of Quan Son district in general and Bo Cung cave in particular.

The mountainous border district of Muong Lat has a border of more than 100 km, adjacent to Vieng Xay and Sop Bau districts, Hua Phan province (Laos), with the Ten Tan national border gate. Although it still faces many difficulties in socio-economic development and needs investment from the State, Muong Lat is blessed by nature with poetic landscapes, terraced fields, traditional stilt houses, and culinary specialties with rich Muong flavors.

On May 18, 2023, the People's Committee of Thanh Hoa province issued Decision No. 1673/QD-UBND approving the Project on tourism development in Muong Lat district until 2025, with a vision to 2030. The project contributes to making tourism one of the key economic sectors of the district, making an important contribution to the local economy, helping Muong Lat district escape poverty quickly and sustainably. Mr. Lo Van Tuan, Head of the Department of Culture and Information of Muong Lat district, said: The orientation for tourism product development in Muong Lat is community tourism, associated with the unique cultural values of ethnic communities in the district and border villages. Cultural, historical and spiritual tourism, associated with attractive places to explore: Sai Khao village, Tay Tien Army Memorial Stele, Milestone 281, Tu Ma Hai Dao Temple, Dai Hoa Zen Monastery... Eco-tourism combining study, sightseeing, relaxation, adventure, associated with Pu Hu Nature Reserve; areas with majestic and pristine natural landscapes; cool, fresh highland climate, unique landscape. Border tourism, associated with Ten Tan border gate (Muong Lat town), border villages. In the period of 2023 - 2025, Muong Lat district focuses on attracting the domestic tourist market, connecting tourists from tourist areas and spots in the province; developing the domestic tourist market from the capital Hanoi, major cities, especially the northern provinces and tourists to the Northwest region; international tourist market (Laos) through Ten Tan border gate.

Creating momentum for border tourism development

Although there are many favorable conditions for tourism development, in reality, Thanh Hoa's border tourism development has not been commensurate with its potential. The reasons are that investment in tourism development in border districts is still limited, tourism infrastructure has not been invested adequately to meet the needs of tourists; there are no typical tourism products. Besides some key traffic routes that have been invested, there are still many routes to border villages that have not been upgraded, making it difficult for people and tourists to travel when participating in community tourism; propaganda and promotion work to attract international and domestic tourists to border districts is still limited; cooperation in tourism development with some border districts of Laos still faces some difficulties and obstacles. In 2019, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Thanh Hoa in collaboration with Quan Son district announced the Quan Son - Vieng Xay (Thanh Hoa - Hua Phan) tour, which attracted the attention of many travel agencies in and outside the province to participate and survey. This is considered a quite interesting tour, bringing tourists many experiences in two neighboring countries. However, after the announcement, due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, tourism activities were quiet, so the Quan Son - Vieng Xay tour was not effective. In addition, the procedures for bringing tourists to visit the border area are still inflexible (according to regulations, a passport is required), which somewhat limits travel agencies from exploiting and developing this tour. Thanh Hoa has Na Meo international border gate (Quan Son), Ten Tan national border gate (Muong Lat), however, border trade activities at the border gate have not created a breakthrough, nor attracted tourists, because the infrastructure is still difficult, large commercial centers have not been formed like some provinces and cities with border gates, the life of residents on both sides of the border of Thanh Hoa - Hua Phan province is still difficult...

From the above difficulties and challenges, all levels, sectors and localities have been proposing specific solutions to promote the potential strengths of the border areas to serve tourism development. In order to promote the development of border trade activities, on June 11, 2021, the Provincial People's Committee issued Plan No. 112/KH-UBND on implementing the Border Trade Infrastructure Development Program to 2025, with a vision to 2030 in Thanh Hoa province. In particular, priority is given to developing border trade infrastructure in line with the programs, goals and orientations for socio-economic development in the mountainous areas of the province, contributing to hunger eradication, poverty reduction and social security. Strengthening national defense - security and social order in the border areas. At the same time, develop trade infrastructure in sync with the development of border gate systems of Thanh Hoa and Hua Phan provinces, in line with the programs of connection, economic cooperation, national defense and security between the two states of Vietnam - Laos and the two provinces of Thanh Hoa - Hua Phan.

To stimulate demand and create favorable conditions for exploiting and developing border tourism, in addition to the efforts and promoting the internal strength of localities, it is necessary to have the cooperation of organizations, individuals, businesses and society. Thanh Hoa province continues to pay attention to and support the construction of a number of infrastructures linked to tourist areas and spots, creating conditions for mountainous and border districts to access capital sources from tourism development programs and projects; opening training courses on tourism for people and cultural officials at the grassroots level; preserving and promoting traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities living in border areas. Thereby, creating conditions for tourists to access and enjoy cultural and tourism values; promoting socio-economic development, making tourism a key economic sector in the western region of Thanh Hoa.

Article and photos: Ngoc Huan

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