Developing Ky Lua tourism products in a distinctive and sustainable direction.

On the morning of May 21st, the Lang Son Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Center, in coordination with the Ky Lua Ward People's Committee, organized a conference on developing tourism products in the area. The conference was attended by representatives from management agencies, travel businesses, accommodation establishments, cooperatives, OCOP units, and media outlets from within and outside the province.

The conference aims to comprehensively assess the potential, current status, and development orientation of tourism products, thereby promoting linkages between stakeholders, forming tours, routes, and distinctive products that suit the advantages of Ky Lua ward, contributing to enhancing the competitiveness of Lang Son tourism.

Ky Lua Ward is currently identified as an important urban center of the province, and also a space that brings together many distinctive cultural, historical, and commercial values ​​of Lang Son. Following the administrative reorganization according to Resolution No. 1672/NQ-UBTVQH15, the area has been expanded with the integration of urban, suburban, ecological, and traditional craft village areas, creating a foundation for diverse and potentially rich development.

A view of the conference.

According to assessments by specialized agencies, Ky Lua possesses a rich system of tourism resources, notably a cultural and spiritual tourism space with relics such as Ta Phu Temple, Moi Temple, Bac Nga Pagoda, and the Hoang Van Thu Memorial House; a system of traditional festivals such as the Ky Cung - Ta Phu Festival and the Bac Nga Pagoda Festival; and unique forms of folk culture such as Then singing, Sli singing, and lion dance.

In addition, the locality also boasts traditional craft villages such as the incense-making village of Bac Nga, the dried herbal medicine production village of Pho Ngau, and the embroidery and tailoring of Nung ethnic costumes in Phan Slinh; ecological spaces along the Ky Cung River, the Le Minh Dam, and the agricultural areas of Gia Cat and Tan Lien. The system of traditional markets, pedestrian streets, night markets, and rich culinary culture further enhance the attractiveness of the destination.

Ms. Tran Thi Bich Hanh, Deputy Director of the Lang Son Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Center, delivered a speech at the conference.

In particular, the image of "Dong Dang with Ky Lua street, To Thi statue, and Tam Thanh pagoda" has long become a familiar cultural symbol, contributing to positioning the Lang Son tourism brand in the minds of domestic and international tourists.

Beyond its natural resources, Ky Lua possesses a multi-layered spiritual space where folk beliefs, Buddhism, Catholicism, and historical memories coexist, creating a rare cultural depth. The Ta Phu Temple plays a central role, associated with the renowned figure Than Cong Tai – who contributed to the expansion of the market town and the development of border trade. The value of this site lies not only in its religious significance but also in its reflection of the history of the formation and development of Ky Lua city.

According to Tran Thi Bich Hanh, Deputy Director of the Lang Son Provincial Center for Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion, organizing the conference is of significant importance in the context of Ky Lua facing the opportunity to restructure its tourism development space. This is a forum for managers, experts, and businesses to identify potential and propose solutions for building distinctive tourism products, increasing connectivity, and extending the length of stay for tourists.

However, reality also shows that tourism development in Ky Lua still faces many limitations. Tourism products are fragmented, lacking linkages between destinations; a complete product chain has not yet been formed; infrastructure and services are not synchronized; promotion and marketing activities are limited; and the participation of the community and businesses in the tourism value chain is not yet truly strong.

Mr. Nguyen Quang Trung, an expert in cultural and spiritual tourism and religious studies, gave a speech.

At the conference, Mr. Nguyen Quang Trung noted that Ky Lua has all the necessary conditions for developing spiritual tourism, but the core issue lies not in the resources but in the way the products are organized. Currently, sightseeing, worship, and festival activities are still seasonal; the interpretation and explanation of heritage sites are not commensurate with their value; and there is a lack of in-depth experiential products.

Accordingly, tourism development needs to shift from isolated exploitation to building a clearly structured product system, placed within the overall cultural space of the border region. Elements such as historical sites, festivals, traditional crafts, markets, cuisine, and landscapes need to be connected into a chain of experiences, creating diverse itineraries for tourists.

Experts also suggested that Ky Lua should promote the development of unique tourism products such as cultural and spiritual experience tours combined with market streets; festival tourism products associated with traditional rituals; craft village tourism combined with experiences in production and consumption of OCOP products; and develop riverside tour routes along the Ky Cung River associated with local ecology and culture.

Experts contributed their opinions at the conference.

At the same time, it is necessary to focus on improving the quality of human resources in tourism, strengthening the application of digital technology in promoting and building destination brands; promoting the role of the community in preserving and exploiting cultural values; and attracting investment to develop tourism infrastructure and services.

The conference on developing tourism products in Ky Lua ward is expected to create a significant shift in the local tourism development mindset, from exploiting potential to organizing professional, in-depth, and sustainable products, thereby contributing to Lang Son tourism's continued affirmation of its position on the tourism map of Vietnam and the region.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/du-lich/xay-dung-san-pham-du-lich-ky-lua-theo-huong-dac-trung-ben-vung-20260521101819727.htm