In 2023, the total number of tourists visiting the 8 expanded Northwestern provinces and Ho Chi Minh City reached 69.2 million, representing 105% of the 2023 plan, an increase of nearly 28% compared to 2022, accounting for about 58% of the total number of visitors to Vietnam in 2023.
The total revenue from tourist activities for the cooperative group reached around 205.586 trillion VND, equal to 102.7% of the annual plan.
This information was announced at the “Summary Conference on the Tourism Development Cooperation Program of the 8 Expanded Northwestern Provinces and Ho Chi Minh City in 2023,” held on December 25 in Sa Pa town, Lao Cai province. These figures affirm the effectiveness and explosive growth of tourism in the cooperative group.
The 8 expanded Northwestern provinces and Ho Chi Minh City, including Dien Bien, Ha Giang, Hoa Binh, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Phu Tho, Son La, Yen Bai, and Ho Chi Minh City, implemented the program under the “Agreement on Tourism Development Cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and the 8 Expanded Northwestern Provinces for the 2021-2025 period.”
To further enhance the depth and practical effectiveness of collaborative tourism development activities within the group, delegates at the conference unanimously agreed that in 2024, the cooperative group needs to accelerate the digital transformation process in the tourism industry. This includes building a national database, a shared data system on tourism, and creating safe destinations for tourists.
The Northwestern provinces and Ho Chi Minh City are committed to advancing digital transformation, especially in promotional activities. This involves collaborating to build the Northwestern-Ho Chi Minh City Colorful Fanpage to introduce the strengths and tourism products of each locality, as well as strengthening linkages and sharing links on the tourism promotion websites of the provinces in the cooperative group.
The group intensifies promotional efforts for the tourism image of the 8 expanded Northwestern provinces and Ho Chi Minh City on airlines and public information channels both domestically and internationally.
The group also emphasizes the application of digital technology in collaborative activities, linking tourism development, and enhancing the use of technology in tourism activities, state management, as well as in promotional and marketing activities through the development of a smart tourism ecosystem and convenient mobile applications to support tourists. The group connects online platforms to help businesses introduce and sell products in the online environment.
As the cooperation group’s leader in 2023, Lao Cai actively led and coordinated with member provinces to build plans, allocate funds according to local conditions, and direct the organization and participation in joint activities to achieve progress and effectiveness.
At the conference, Hoang Quoc Khanh, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Lao Cai province, emphasized that in 2023, member provinces and cities in the cooperative group closely coordinated and implemented many effective activities. These included organizing the Festival of Northwestern Essence in Ho Chi Minh City, the Expanded Northwestern Cultural Tourism Week in Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, and Hanoi. Member provinces and cities conducted surveys to explore new tourism products on the Northwestern loop, such as the “Journey to connect the terraced fields of the Northwestern national heritage” – the story of traditional weaving between the land and sky of the Northwestern region, and “Majestic Northwestern” – Against the flow of the Da River into the realm of memories.
Notably, the Cultural and Tourism Week of the Northwestern and Ho Chi Minh City in Luang Prabang province (Laos) was the first international tourism promotion event implemented by the cooperative group.
“The events contribute significantly to promoting and vividly introducing the land, culture, and people of the 8 expanded Northwestern provinces and Ho Chi Minh City, highlighting their strengths, attractive destinations for tourists and investors both domestically and internationally, as well as diverse tourism products, providing more choices for tourists and travel businesses in the journey to explore the Northwestern region,” emphasized the Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Lao Cai province.
At the conference, Lao Cai province handed over the symbol of the leader of the tourism development cooperation group of the 8 expanded Northwestern provinces and Ho Chi Minh City in 2024 to Phu Tho province.
@Znews