Sports tourism contributes to promoting local tourism and promoting the image of Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Van Ngo
Sports tourism events have become a potential market, promoting domestic tourism, becoming a trend chosen by many customers.
In particular, as race-cation tourism becomes more and more popular, many new races are continuously held in different locations, bringing different experiences to domestic and foreign tourists.
"Combining tourism with sports and exploring nature is the current trend in Vietnam," said Mr. Le Van Tuan, Director of Vietnam Running Development Company Limited.
Promoting sustainable tourism development
According to Happrun.vn, there are about 62 marathon and trail races of different sizes held in Vietnam in 2023. Not only maintaining the organization on old routes, many races open new routes, attracting tourists to register to participate in experiences and travel to new places.
In mid-February, the "Ky Son Marathon 2024 - Back to the Mountainous Region" was held for the first time in Ky Son - a mountainous district located in the west of Nghe An province. The running course is designed along the Lam River, in the area bordering Vietnam - Laos. Visitors will be able to admire the ripe rice fields, the sea of clouds surrounding the majestic mountains, passing through the villages of the Thai, Mong, Kho Mu people...
Mr. Le Van Tuan, representative of the organizing committee, said: "We want to create an annual event combining sports and tourism to help build and develop the local economy in particularly difficult areas like Ky Son district, besides introducing the wild beauty here to domestic and foreign friends, promoting the model of sustainable tourism in the locality."
The trail running route is close to the daily life of the locals so that runners can understand more about the rich cultural identity of the ethnic groups here. Photo: Ky Son Marathon 2024
"With the enthusiastic support of the local government and people, the race is not only a sporting event but also has the meaning of connecting and exchanging local culture. From there, a tourism model closely linked to the spiritual and cultural life of the people was born. The village tourism model - everyone does tourism, every family does tourism, creating a familiar and warm feeling for tourists when coming to the locality", Mr. Tuan shared.
He also believes that tourism associated with household economy will help promote the role and responsibility of local people in sustainable tourism development.
Therefore, the unit always tries to find new routes with many differences to attract runners to experience the running route as well as connect locations, create tourist routes, and develop community tourism at home and abroad.
When participating in races, tourists often stay 2-4 days locally, this is the category with the most spending. Ms. Lo Thi Giang (39 years old, Thai ethnic), homestay owner in Mu Cang Chai district, Yen Bai province said: "Every time the Mu Cang Chai Ultra Trail season comes, the number of guests staying increases many times compared to normal days. My homestay and other establishments in the area are all fully booked."
She shared that most tourists will book a full-service accommodation combo at the unit to avoid the situation of restaurants being overloaded when thousands of runners flock to the race as well as experience local specialties.
"I hope there will be more seasons to stimulate local tourism, create more jobs for local people, and promote sustainable development," said Ms. Giang. In addition, the unit also offers incentives for partners when booking services in advance.
Introducing and promoting tourism by running
As a young man with a passion for running and traveling, besides participating in running competitions, Nguyen Huu Phong (26 years old, living in Bien Hoa) often runs in the places he visits.
"During my recent trip across Vietnam, in cities like Nha Trang, Phu Yen, Da Nang..., I spent time running along the coast, meeting, chatting and introducing tourist destinations to international visitors," Phong shared.
Although he has only started running for over a year, runner Nguyen Huu Phong is participating in races at a distance of 42 km and regularly shares useful content about running and traveling with everyone. Photo: Nguyen Huu Phong
The male runner said that although his foreign language skills are still quite limited, he is very happy to meet and share more about the country and experiences at locations on the S-shaped strip of land with friends at home and abroad.
Owning a TikTok channel sharing running content with more than 61,000 followers, Huu Phong said he plans to share travel and running experiences with runners such as: travel experience, accommodation, food, and specific places to visit for each race.
"I hope these shared videos will help people save time and increase their experience when participating in races," Phong said.
Similarly, Chau Nguyen (living in Ho Chi Minh City) has just completed the 60 km distance at the Prenn Trail Challenge held in Da Lat City (Lam Dong). According to the male runner, the running route in this race is completely different, conveying all the characteristics of the Central Highlands region.
Runner Chau Nguyen runs through pine forests and rugged slopes in Da Lat. Photo: Prenn Trail Challenge
Runners can run through pine forests, challenging slopes, tea and coffee hills or the poetic Tuyen Lam Lake. "Reaching the highest peak of the course, Pinhatt Peak, I was able to see the whole Prenn Pass from a new, more satisfying angle. The feeling of conquering the race while enjoying the scenery was great," Chau Nguyen shared.
Each step takes the runner through many new destinations, feeling the beauty of nature and people in a close and clear way. At the same time, it brings many interesting experiences. The male runner hopes that the races will contribute to the development of tourism, making domestic tourists love Vietnam more and international tourists excited to explore.
Not only localities with unique natural landscapes, Ho Chi Minh City also wants to bring dynamic and modern beauty closer to Vietnamese and international runners through running races. For example, the Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon runs through 17 landmarks associated with the development history of Ho Chi Minh City such as Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, City Theater...
Coming soon, Ho Chi Minh City will host the 11th Ho Chi Minh City Marathon, running along the Saigon River and some streets of Thu Duc City. Runners will have the opportunity to see a series of famous constructions such as Ben Thanh Market, Bitexco, Thu Thiem 2 Bridge, Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee...
Ms. Nguyen Thuy Linh, marketing representative of Pulse Trading and Production Company Limited (the organizer of the Ho Chi Minh City Marathon) said: "Running races held in places with beautiful scenery are gradually proving their attraction. This season, there are about 11,000 "runners" from more than 50 countries participating. Of which, Asian and American countries account for the majority."
The HCMC Marathon attracts many domestic and foreign runners. Photo: HCMC Marathon
In addition, this unit also organizes the Da Nang International Marathon to attract international tourists to participate in tourism. The running route is designed to go through the destinations and prominent works of each locality. Coming into the runner's eyes is the image of a diverse and beautiful moving Vietnam.
"The race is an opportunity for runners to exchange culture and promote Vietnam to international friends. From there, it promotes development and stimulates local tourism. I hope that in the future, Vietnam will become a place that attracts tourists for both sports and tourism activities," said Ms. Linh.
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