Define the direction of tourism development in the coming time

Kinhtedothi-In addition to timely solutions during storms and floods, the tourism industry of Lao Cai province also has development orientations for the coming time.

Mr. Lai Vu Hiep, Deputy Director of Lao Cai Provincial Department of Tourism, said that in the coming time, the province will focus on developing green and sustainable tourism.

Ensuring transport connectivity to tourist destinations

Mr. Lai Vu Hiep - Deputy Director of Lao Cai Province Department of Tourism said that at the time when floods caused serious impacts and damage, departments had to consider the story of overcoming and developing tourism after the flood.

Accordingly, the Department of Tourism has requested the Provincial People's Committee to direct local departments and branches to implement specific tasks in the coming time such as:

The Department of Transport shall preside over and coordinate with the People's Committees of districts, towns and cities to quickly repair landslide-prone roads to ensure convenient and safe traffic for tourists, especially routes to key tourist areas such as Sa Pa, Bac Ha, Y Ty, Bat Xat (national highway and provincial road systems).

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development presides over and coordinates with localities to review, evaluate, and overcome damage to crops, livestock, and agricultural and ecological tourism models.

Provincial police prioritize ensuring security and order in tourist areas and spots.

The Department of Health prioritizes ensuring medical work and food safety in key tourist areas.

The People's Committees of districts, towns and cities shall coordinate with the Department of Tourism to review tourist destinations and tourism service establishments in the area (accommodation establishments, restaurants, entertainment and shopping venues, etc. serving tourists); announce easily accessible and safe destinations on mass media, tourism promotion and advertising channels; provide information regularly and continuously.

Propaganda, mobilization, and direction of agencies, organizations, people, and businesses to unite and join hands to clean up the streets, renew the landscape of villages, tourist areas, relics, and accommodation facilities in the area after storms and floods to be ready in all conditions to welcome tourists back.

In the long term, research and develop villages affected by storm No. 3 such as Lang Nu, Nam Tong, Kho Vang, etc. into tourist destinations combined with environmental protection education and natural disaster prevention.

Image of a neighborhood gradually becoming bustling again in Sa Pa town.

Proposing policies to support the tourism industry

Pursuant to Resolution No. 143/NQ-CP dated September 17, 2024 of the Government on key tasks and solutions to urgently overcome the consequences of storm No. 3, including policies to support the tourism industry, Lao Cai Department of Tourism has made a number of proposals such as:

The State Bank Branch directed commercial banks to consider restructuring loan and debt terms; exempting or reducing loan interest rates or receiving preferential interest rate support from the State budget for customers suffering losses.

Lao Cai Provincial Bank for Social Policies considers exempting or reducing loan interest rates for affected customers, including homestay establishments that are receiving loan support under Resolution 06/2021/NQ-HDND.

The Provincial Tax Department considers reducing land rent, land tax, temporarily exempting corporate income tax or considering extending the time for tax settlement.

The provincial Social Insurance is studying the extension of social insurance payment for tourism businesses damaged by storm No. 3.

In addition, the Department of Tourism also instructed the province's travel businesses to reduce 80% of the deposit for travel service business until June 2025.

Majestic mountain and forest scenery, overlapping on the way to Simacai district.

Organize activities, promote and introduce Lao Cai tourism image

Mr. Lai Vu Hiep said that in the coming time, Lao Cai Department of Tourism will preside over and coordinate with sectors and localities to implement a promotion, association, and cooperation survey program in Yunnan (China) with the participation of provinces and cities of Hanoi, Hai Phong, and Quang Ninh.

Coordinate with the Departments of Culture - Sports and Tourism, localities of Ha Giang and Lai Chau provinces to implement the Program of surveying and developing tourism products for ethnic minority and mountainous areas of Lao Cai province: connecting heritage from Sin Suoi Ho (Lai Chau) via the ancient stone road Pavie - Bat Xat - Bac Ha (Lao Cai) - Xin Man (Ha Giang); expected to be completed in November 2024.

Cooperate with Hanoi Railway Transport Joint Stock Company to continue the cooperation program with the railway industry (printing brochures, posters, providing publications) to promote Lao Cai tourism, expected to be completed in October 2024.

Organize the Lao Cai Brocade Festival in Sa Pa with appropriate scale and content to attract tourists to Lao Cai after the impact of storms and floods. Advise on adjusting tourism activities: Festival "Northwest Brocade - Colors of Lao Cai Brocade", adjusted from Bac Ha to organize in Sa Pa.

Coordinate with relevant units to research and develop experiential tours and combine sponsorship for villages severely damaged by natural disasters. Develop new tourism programs such as: tourism associated with volunteer activities; tourism associated with visiting areas affected by storms and floods with the theme "Where the land revives"...; promote the development of Mice tourism on a large scale.

Coordinate to welcome farmtrip groups to survey and build tourism tours connecting Lao Cai with other provinces.

According to Mr. Lai Vu Hiep, Sa Pa town is one of the areas with rapid urbanization, but mainly concentrated within a radius of a few kilometers from the center, while the surrounding areas still retain certain cultural values.

Building sustainable tourism products

Mr. Lai Vu Hiep shared that recently, the Department also organized the largest program ever, welcoming more than 80 travel companies from Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Thanh Hoa to experience farmtrip tourism. Thereby, introducing unique tourism products of Lao Cai such as landscapes, dishes, accommodation facilities, and tourism products.

The companies that experienced the service responded very well and committed to bringing tourists up. Soon after, they began bringing local groups up. The Department is also promoting the development of products connecting the sea and the mountains, thereby bringing tourists from Lao Cai to the coastal provinces.

In the coming time, based on the Project on community tourism development approved by the Provincial People's Committee, the Department of Tourism of Lao Cai province will work with localities to reorganize tourism products, aiming to develop community tourism - a model of sustainable tourism development.

With this model, people can participate in tourism activities, thereby earning income and gaining experience, they will be motivated to work with relevant agencies to preserve and promote national cultural identities.

A special feature of Lao Cai is that it has the potential to develop unique cultural products with up to 25 diverse ethnic groups.

Currently, the Department of Tourism is bringing the culture of ethnic minorities to build community tourism products, considering it the difference between Lao Cai and other provinces in the region and the whole country.

“For example, the culture of the Dao, Tay, Xa Pho, Giay... still retains traditional features such as costumes, festivals, beliefs, and lifestyles. The Department will research to restore and promote these cultural features to a new level, turning them into tourism products and performing them right at community tourism spots in those villages. Tourists, especially foreign tourists, really like these tourism products. In addition, agencies and sectors also have policies to support art troupes and people to maintain these activities…” - Mr. Hiep added.

Besides promoting tourism development, the Department of Tourism will try to preserve and promote national identity, avoiding rapid urbanization as in some localities in the province.

Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/bai-cuoi-dinh-ro-huong-phat-trien-du-lich-trong-thoi-gian-toi.html