Preserving traditional festivals, the driving force for tourism development

BHG - As a land rich in cultural traditions, Ha Giang has 81 festivals from provincial to grassroots levels bearing the imprint of customs and practices of 19 ethnic groups living together. Exploiting the value of festivals not only preserves cultural identity but also creates resources for tourism development, contributing to bringing sustainable benefits to the community.

According to statistics, the province currently has 8 provincial and regional festivals; 15 district-level festivals; 58 communal festivals. Of these, there are 54 folk festivals, 11 historical and cultural relic festivals; 14 cultural, sports and tourism festivals and 2 professional festivals. The festivals are held annually to promote and introduce to domestic and international friends the tangible and intangible cultural values, scenic spots and typical local products. Many festivals have become famous tourism brands of the province such as: Buckwheat Flower Festival; Hoang Su Phi Terraced Field Heritage Cultural Week; Mong Panpipe Festival... not only attracting a large number of tourists but also contributing to promoting and affirming the position of Ha Giang on the international tourism map.

Ban Vuong Festival in Ho Thau Commune (Hoang Su Phi) is a National Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Dao people.

Among the festivals, Phong Luu Khau Vai Market Festival has existed for over 100 years, a special market on the Stone Plateau. Since being raised to the provincial level, the festival has been widely promoted on mass media channels, becoming a prominent cultural and tourism event. Comrade Nguyen Van Luu, Secretary of the Khau Vai Commune Party Committee, said: “The annual increase in the number of tourists has promoted business activities in services, accommodation, souvenir sales and local specialties. Thereby, increasing people's income, helping people promote traditional cultural values”.

Currently, the tourism trend of learning and exploring the cultural values ​​of ethnic minority communities has received the attention of many tourists. Our province has many traditional festivals that have been restored and preserved with wide spread such as: Fire Dance Festival of the Pa Then ethnic group, Ban Vuong of the Dao ethnic group, Gau Tao of the Mong ethnic group, Ancestor Worship Ceremony of the Lo Lo ethnic group... These festivals not only create a unique space, rich in identity but also attract many tourists to experience and explore. Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Van Bai, Vice Chairman of the National Cultural Heritage Council said: “In the Vietnam tourism development strategy to 2030, Ha Giang is oriented by the Central Government to become a National Tourism Area. In the context of current commercialization, preserving and exploiting the cultural values ​​of ethnic groups is a valuable resource that creates the attractiveness of Ha Giang tourism. In particular, traditional festivals are the key to helping tourists experience more deeply the beliefs and customs of ethnic minorities.”

Special festival of traditional embroidery and linen weaving village of Mong ethnic group in Quan Ba ​​district.

With the viewpoint of "Using culture to develop tourism, using tourism to preserve and develop culture", the province concretizes the Party's policy on cultural work, traditional festivals are restored on the basis of preserving beauty, eliminating inappropriate content. Since then, the number of tourists to festivals has also increased, contributing significantly to the growth of the province's tourism industry. In 2024, the whole province welcomed more than 3.2 million visitors, an increase of 8.8% over the same period in 2023. Of which, there were 380 thousand international visitors; total tourism revenue reached more than 8.1 trillion VND. In particular, it was marked with the award "Asia's Leading Regional Cultural Destination 2024".

According to the professional agency, although there are many positive signs, many companies and travel businesses are still not interested in tourism tours associated with traditional festivals in the province. Festival tourism programs mainly play a supporting role, enriching the tourist experience, instead of becoming a fixed tour or a long-term stop. As a result, the types of transportation, accommodation, culinary, shopping, resort services... have not yet developed strongly. Mr. Phung Ngoc Anh, Hanoi Tourism Investment Joint Stock Company shared: "In addition to major events organized in a series of events and on a large scale, most festivals in Ha Giang are small and medium-sized. Festivals are held in many regions and areas with difficult traffic and accommodation conditions, so it is difficult for units to arrange tourism tours with a large number of tourists. Some festivals are still organized in a monotonous pattern, with almost the same script content, so tourists are not interested in watching".

To turn traditional festivals into attractive tourism products, it is necessary to focus on selecting original values, preserving identity, avoiding hybridization and theatricalization. At the same time, all levels, sectors and local authorities need to closely coordinate with travel businesses to promote promotion and create impressive attractions for tourists. Building tourism programs associated with festivals in a systematic and professional manner, combined with real-life experiences will help enhance cultural values, while promoting the sustainable development of the "smokeless" industry.

Article and photos: Hoang Ha

Source: https://baohagiang.vn/van-hoa/202503/bao-ton-le-hoi-truyen-thongdong-luc-phat-trien-du-lich-ac0507e/