Promoting the potential and strengths of tourism, Son La Tourism Association always plays the role of a "bridge" to create conditions for members to participate in promotion activities, cooperation, linking tours, routes, and tourism promotion with Vietnam Tourism Association and Tourism Associations of provinces and cities, forming a chain of diverse and attractive tourism products, contributing to building the Son La tourism brand.
Announcing tour products Hanoi - Son La city - Quynh Nhai - Thuan Chau.
Add new tours and routes
Son La is located in the center of the Northwest of the country, 300 km from Hanoi along Highway 6, with 12 ethnic groups living together, bordering the provinces of Hoa Binh, Lai Chau, Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Dien Bien, Thanh Hoa and has a border with the Lao People's Democratic Republic. Along with that, there are rich and diverse tourism resources, especially natural resources and unique indigenous culture, which are great potentials to attract tourists to Son La.
In the first three months of 2024, Son La tourism achieved significant results, with a total of 1,360,000 visitors, including over 3,100 international tourists, and a revenue of approximately 1,500 billion VND. These achievements were largely attributed to the efforts of the Provincial Tourism Association and the Tourism Associations of districts and cities in promoting tourism, signing new tours and routes.
The first tourism promotion and advertising activity is the 2024 VITM International Tourism Fair, held in early April in Hanoi. Here, the Tourism Association of Thai Binh Province and Son La Province discussed and agreed to cooperate and open the Thai Binh - Moc Chau - Sam Neua international tourism route and officially opened it at the end of April at Long Sap National Border Gate, Moc Chau District. The tour operator is the Vietnam - Laos International Tourism Company, Thai Binh Province, a travel agency with many years of experience, welcoming tourists from Thai Binh and the provinces of the Northern Coast to visit the provinces of Laos.
Mr. Vu Manh Thang, Chairman of Thai Binh Province Tourism Association, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Vietnam - Laos International Travel Company, shared: Since the tour was opened, the Company has organized 3 tourist groups from Xieng Khouang province through Hua Phan province (Lao PDR) and entered Vietnam through Long Sap National Border Gate, Moc Chau district. Arriving in Moc Chau, the group continued to visit tourist areas and spots in the area, the tourists all enjoyed the destinations and were satisfied with the tour.
Thai Binh - Moc Chau - Sam Neua international tourist route welcomes the first group of tourists to Moc Chau.
Photo by Nguyen Thu (Contributor).
Also in April, Son La Province Tourism Association coordinated with Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province Tourism Association to organize a conference to promote and sign an agreement on cooperation in tourism development. Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province is one of the major tourist centers of the country, ranking first in attracting tourists, with rich and diverse tourism resources in both nature and humanity, with basic types of tourism: Sea and island resort tourism, entertainment, eco-tourism and community tourism, conference and seminar tourism... At the conference, the Tourism Associations of the two provinces signed an agreement on cooperation in tourism development.
Previously, within the framework of the "Son La - Hua Phan Cultural Tourism Festival" in 2024 taking place in Sam Neua town, Hua Phan province (Lao PDR), tourism businesses of Son La province, Hua Phan province and the Hanoi Unesco Club signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in selling tourism products, forming a new tour Hanoi - Son La - Hua Phan, adding opportunities for tourists from Vietnam and Laos to visit and experience.
Mr. Hoang Chi Thuc, Chairman of Son La Province Tourism Association, said: Signing a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in selling tourism products and forming new tours between Son La and other provinces and cities in and outside the country is an effort of the province and the Association, contributing to promoting tourism and attracting more and more domestic and foreign tourists to Son La. By doing this, more and more new tours and tourist routes are being formed.
Infinity koi pond at Dai Yem waterfall, Pha Luong Moc Chau Tourism Joint Stock Company.
Improve the quality of human resources
To create attraction for tourist areas and destinations, many units have invested and developed new tourism products, associated with improving product quality in a unique direction, on the basis of exploiting the potential advantages of the region. However, tourism development requires a large amount of human resources, which play a decisive role in the quality of tourism services.
Mr. Hoang Chi Thuc, Chairman of the Provincial Tourism Association, informed: Implementing the direction of the province, the Association promotes the role of a bridge, representative, and support members to participate in training courses organized by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the province, such as: Teaching decorative patterns on Dao Tien costumes to help preserve and promote national cultural identity; fostering tourism skills at Moc Chau National Tourist Area; organizing members to participate in training on fire prevention, fighting and digital transformation. Along with that, businesses and cooperatives proactively and actively select and send employees and tour guides to participate in specialized training courses and study practical experience at large restaurants, hotels, and tourist areas in the country, improving professionalism.
With the attention and facilitation of the province, the efforts and endeavors of the Association and its members, by early 2024, the whole province had over 5,000 direct workers in the tourism sector, of which 55% had been trained. The number of tour guides increased in both quantity and quality. Moc Chau National Tourist Area alone has over 40 tour guides who are regularly trained. However, the province's tourism human resources are still lacking in quantity, expertise, and professionalism in many stages is not highly professional.
Suoi Hen Vuon Dao is a professional event organization center of Son La city.
In order for Son La tourism to attract more and more domestic and foreign tourists, the Provincial Tourism Association continues to coordinate with departments, branches, People's Committees of districts and cities to promote communication, promotion, image building, tourism brand building, research, construction and completion of new, typical and unique tourism products, creating attractiveness, striving to welcome 4.8 million tourists by 2024, tourism revenue reaching 5,500 billion VND. In particular, promoting the brand "World's leading regional natural destination" of Moc Chau National Tourist Area, digital transformation, smart tourism application, forming new tours, developing more domestic and international markets.
Minh Thu