Digital media brings Ha Giang to the world

(CPV) - Promoting the image of Ha Giang land and people on digital platforms has brought many positive signals to Ha Giang tourism industry - which is considered the "pillar" of the local economy. Contributing to these positive results is the important role of community media forces in the digital environment.

Through digital media channels, attractive destinations and quality tourism products and services of Ha Giang have been promoted and introduced to domestic and foreign tourists through beautiful video clips, articles and images.

Singer and musician Quach Beem (sitting in the middle) with extras during the filming of the MV “Ha Giang oi”. (Photo source: Vietnamnet)

In 2018, singer and musician Quach Beem first set foot in Ha Giang and realized that this place would be more beautiful and developed if it was widely promoted to everyone. Too impressed with the beauty of Ha Giang, he composed and released the song "Ha Giang oi" with a vivid and intimate depiction of the land in the northernmost border of the Fatherland. After its release, the song took social networks by storm and has continued to break records with over 25 million views through digital platforms. It can be said that the birth of "Ha Giang oi" with active promotion on information channels and digital platforms by singer and musician Quach Beem has touched the hearts of millions of viewers and warmed the footsteps of tourists from all over.

“After listening to this song, I just want to immediately put on my backpack and explore Ha Giang” - That is the common feeling of many young people, whether they have been to this land at the head of the Fatherland or not.

Born in Ha Giang, Le Hoang Nam - owner of the Youtube channel "Challenge Me - Let's Challenge Me" with nearly 4.1 million subscribers also has his own way of promoting and communicating about Ha Giang. Watching his Youtube channel, you can see a very authentic, simple and close Ha Giang through many clips introducing the majestic natural landscape as well as interesting and attractive stories of the community of 19 ethnic groups here such as: Why do Mong people not dare to enter the 9-door cave; Turns out this is the reason to often go to Ha Giang; Fulfilling the wish to build a children's playground in Ha Giang; Die laughing at the village of Xin Le in Tia Cua Si (Meo Vac, Ha Giang);… Starting to post the first videos since October 2014, up to now, this Youtube channel has produced over 1,200 videos and clips, in which the clips introducing Ha Giang attract millions of views, contributing to bringing the image of Ha Giang closer to tourists from all over.

Sharing the same love for the borderland of Ha Giang, many other community media channels have also chosen their own ways to promote Ha Giang on digital platforms such as: community channels Khoai Lang Thang, Chan La Ca, Nang Cao Nguyen, Xuan Huu Dan Tinh, Tam Giac Mach, Nguyen Tat Thang, Pheng Pheng Vlog,...; channels of folk artists such as A Pao (Ngo Si Ngoc), a digital content creator with hundreds of video clips featuring scenes of Ha Giang that have the ability to attract domestic and foreign tourists very impressively..., thereby strongly contributing to spreading the image of Ha Giang on the digital environment.

Le Hoang Nam - owner of the Youtube channel "Challenge Me - Let's Challenge Me" with nearly 4.1 million subscribers also has his own way of promoting and communicating about Ha Giang. (Photo source: hagiangtv.vn)

Mr. Do Thai Hoa - Director of the Department of Information and Communications of Ha Giang province said that with the rapid development of information technology and the inevitable trend of digital transformation, communication work in general, especially digital communication in particular, has made positive contributions in information activities, propaganda, promotion, and spreading the image of Ha Giang to localities in the country and the world.

Looking back at the time of the COVID-19 outbreak, when most social activities were suspended and people's lives were disrupted, in addition to information and propaganda on official channels of press and media agencies, agencies, units, localities to residential groups, villages, hamlets, associations and groups in Ha Giang have formed information channels to connect, share, interact, and promptly provide official information on social networking platforms. Thereby, creating a diverse development of information channels, spreading quickly and effectively to people, creating trust and consensus in society.

At the same time, when cultural, tourism and festival activities could not be organized with large crowds due to the epidemic, Ha Giang flexibly and creatively organized programs and events to promote and introduce festivals and cultural identities on the province's digital media channels and linked with the digital media channels of central press agencies with the aim of creating a wide spread. Notably, it is necessary to promote and communicate annual festivals with the Ha Giang brand on digital platforms, social networks Zalo, Facebook of the district and province such as: Buckwheat Flower Festival; Festival through the Hoang Su Phi terraced heritage sites; Tourism program "Through the Viet Bac heritage sites"; some festivals of ethnic minorities; organizing online experiential tours with many video clips promoting famous landscapes, heritage sites, attractive destinations, regional cuisine as well as typical local products.

Digital transformation is carried out on 03 pillars, in which communication is the top priority area.

Also according to the Director of the Department of Information and Communications of Ha Giang province - Do Thai Hoa, the promotion of digital communication in the tourism sector has made an important contribution to achieving the dual goal; contributing to promoting the image, culture and attracting tourists to Ha Giang. In particular, after a period of being affected by the COVID-19 epidemic, communication trends have changed a lot, focusing on the use of social platforms, the internet and smart devices. From there, communication through digital platforms is considered the fastest way to help readers access information.

To promote effective communication in the digital environment, the People's Committee of Ha Giang province has proactively signed a cooperation agreement with Viettel Military Telecommunications Group and VNPT Post and Telecommunications Group to enhance the development of telecommunications infrastructure and information technology, creating conditions to promote the application of digital transformation on 3 pillars, in which the field of communication is the top priority.

Accordingly, Ha Giang province has had appropriate approaches to promote communication work on digital technology platforms. In 2019, the Provincial People's Committee issued a Project on Communication Innovation for the period 2020 - 2025, with a vision to 2030. In 2021, the Provincial People's Committee coordinated with FPT Group to successfully organize a Digital Transformation Workshop, immediately after which the Provincial Party Committee issued Resolution No. 18-NQ/TU dated October 29, 2021 on digital transformation in Ha Giang province, period 2021 - 2025, with a vision to 2030.

Along with that, Ha Giang has actively developed programs and implementation plans to promote press and media development, such as: Plan to organize communications and promote Ha Giang's image abroad, Plan to implement digital transformation of provincial press, Plan to strengthen policy communication work...

Digital media with the mission of promoting Ha Giang's image on digital platforms has contributed to positioning the Ha Giang brand, especially in the tourism sector.

The allocation of funding to ensure information and propaganda work is increasingly being paid attention to by the province and all levels and sectors. Currently, most villages have telephone and internet coverage, the terrestrial television digitalization project has been completed, and the rate of people with smartphones is 76.4%. The grassroots radio system has been invested in and upgraded to the villages and hamlets, ensuring access to information for people across the province.

With the achieved results, it can be seen that digital media with the mission of promoting the image of Ha Giang on digital platforms has contributed to positioning the Ha Giang brand, reaching out to the world, attracting special attention from tourists, bringing in revenue considered as the "pillar" of the local economy. Thanks to that, Ha Giang tourism has recorded impressive growth in recent years. In the period 2020 - 2022, tourists to Ha Giang increased by an average of 39% per year. In 2022, when the COVID-19 pandemic was under control, Ha Giang welcomed over 2.2 million visitors, of which international visitors were over 71,000 and domestic visitors were nearly 2.3 million.

In the first 9 months of 2023 alone, the province welcomed nearly 2.2 million visitors, including over 218,000 international visitors and about 1.9 million domestic visitors (up 35% over the same period in 2022, reaching 86% of the annual plan), tourism revenue reached 5,072 billion VND, up 58.6% over the same period. It is estimated that by the end of 2023, the number of tourists to Ha Giang will reach about 3 million, reaching 100% of the target set by the Resolution of the 17th Provincial Party Congress.

In particular, Ha Giang has been listed many times in a row as an ideal destination by prestigious travel magazines around the world. The New York Times ranked Ha Giang in the top 25/52 most attractive destinations in the world in 2023. The Canadian travel magazine The Travel voted Ha Giang as one of the 10 most beautiful destinations in Vietnam. Most recently, in September 2023, Ha Giang was honored to receive the award for Asia's Leading Emerging Tourist Destination in 2023.