Breakthrough from “a smoke-free industry”

(LSO) – After eight years of implementing Resolution No. 41-NQ/TU of the Executive Committee of the Provincial Party Committee dated June 18, 2012 on “Developing commerce, services and tourism to 2015, orientation to 2020”, Lang Son tourism continues to have an impressive breakthrough, contributing to promoting the local socio-economic development.

Implementing Resolution No.41-NQ/TU of the Executive Committee of the Provincial Party Committee with the aim of “Developing commerce, services and tourism into a spearhead economic sector, making a breakthrough, promoting the province’s growth and economic structure shift”, the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People’s Committee have issued mechanisms and policies to create momentum for tourism development, especially the Action Program No.74-CTr/TU of the Provincial Party Committee dated December 28, 2017 on developing tourism into a spearhead economic sector and so on. Mr. Nguyen Phuc Ha, Director of Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that as a standing agency of the Steering Committee for the Provincial Tourism Development, the Department has advised to promulgate preferential mechanisms and policies to attract investment in the province, including tourism. Every year, the Department advises the Steering Committee to develop its operation plan, tourism development planning projects in the area; plan to implement the master plan for the development of Mau Son national tourist area; invest in the special national relic area of ​​Bac Son Safe Zone and Chi Lang special national relic and so on.

Tourists visited and experienced at Mau Son Tourism Festival 2020

Not only with the direction of the province, but over the past years, tourism businesses have also actively participated in activities to promote tourism development. Specifically, the expansion of tourism space, putting into operation new tours and routes based on cultural strengths, unique characteristics have contributed to creating a difference, novelty, bringing separate feelings for visitors. Notably, with the efforts in advertisement and promotion, Lang Son tourism market has been expanded. Currently, Lang Son tourism has linked with the country’s key regions such as Ho Chi Minh City, Tuyen Quang, Ha Giang, etc., thereby facilitating the connection of tourist destinations in inter-regional tourism tours. Mrs. Hoang Kim Thao, Chairwoman of the Provincial Tourism Association, said that after more than 10 years of establishment, they have actively performed the role as a bridge between businesses and local authorities, state management agencies at all levels. Along with that, they have built tourism learning, exchange and promotion programs: signing agreements between the Provincial Tourism Association and the tourism associations of some other provinces; organizing delegations for field visits, learning experiences from other localities in tourism development and so forth. Mr. Cao Duc Hiep, CEO of Rong Viet Travel Service Co., Ltd. (Vinh Phuc) said that Xu Lang has very rich potentials for tourism development, therefore, they have cooperated with Lang Son businesses to bring tourists here to visit. From 2019 up to now, the company has built four tours and has brought more than 500 visitors to Lang Son. Next time, when the epidemic situation is under control, they will continue to consider building other attractive tours.

In parallel with tourism promotion, tourism infrastructure continues to develop rapidly, attracting the attention of many large investors. From 2016 up to now, the whole province has had 27 newly invested accommodation establishments. Up to now, the whole province has had 14 travel businesses and 217 tourist accommodation establishments with a total of more than 3,100 rooms. Tourist transport is diversified with over 1,300 vehicles. In particular, from 2015 up to now, the province has had more than 10 commerce, service and tourism investment projects with a capital of up to thousands of billion dong, contributing to promoting strong tourism development, typically: The project of the shopping mall, hotel and shop house complex, Vingroup’s investment project to build Lang Son commercial service complex with the investment capital of 72 billion VND; the investment project of Mau Son national tourist area with the capital of over 12,000 billion VND and so forth.

With the close direction of the party committee, the provincial government, the active participation of all levels, sectors, businesses and people, Lang Son tourism has prospered in recent years. This is evidenced by the number of tourists and the “smoke-free industry” revenue continuing to grow each year. By the end of 2019, Lang Son welcomed over 2.9 million visitors (an increase of 600,000 arrivals compared to 2015), reaching the social revenue of 1,226 billion VND, an increase of 391 billion VND compared to 2015. The image of Lang Son tourism – The land of peach blossoms with new products such as community-based tourism in Quynh Son, Vu Le (Bac Son), Mong An (Binh Gia), Huu Lien (Huu Lung) and so forth, increasingly obvious on the tourist map of Vietnam.

Mr. Nguyen Phuc Ha, Director of Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that with this growth momentum, the province’s “smoke-free industry” is facing new opportunities and challenges. In order for Lang Son tourism to develop sustainably, reach out to become the province’s spearhead economic sector, in the coming time, the sector will continue to advise the Provincial People’s Committee to promote tourism promotion; mobilize all resources to improve the investment environment, create all favorable conditions for organizations and individuals to participate in investment, giving priority to socialized capital sources. Along with that, step by step it is essential to invest in infrastructure, organize professional tourist service activities to meet the increasing requirements of tourists. At the same time, it is important to promote linkage and development cooperation with key tourist regions, creating a strong and sustainable development step.