Bach Long Glass Bridge at Moc Chau Island Tourist Area.

Prioritize the development of integrated transportation infrastructure.

Right from the planning stage, Son La province has focused on reviewing and developing general plans, functional zoning plans, and detailed plans to build a synchronous infrastructure, especially transportation. In particular, implementing the "Son La Province Transportation Infrastructure Development Project towards Synchronization in the period 2026-2030," a list of transportation projects has been proposed to prioritize investment resources, create inter-regional, regional, and intra-regional connections to serve socio-economic development and tourism development goals in the province...

Mr. Tran Xuan Viet, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, commented: The transportation system in Son La province has been established and distributed quite rationally throughout the province, creating connections to tourist areas and destinations, basically meeting the pace of tourism development in the localities.

Tourists come to experience the pedestrian street and night market in Moc Chau. 

Currently, the province is submitting a proposal to the Ministry of Transport to renovate and upgrade several key national highways to connect with provinces in the region. This includes 30 transportation projects with a total length of 427 km, to be implemented in the 2021-2025 medium-term public investment plan. In particular, the Hoa Binh - Moc Chau expressway project (in Son La province) is in the process of completing procedures for commencement. The renovation and upgrading of Na San Airport and the Moc Chau - Son La city expressway are also being accelerated in preparation for investment. These are key projects of paramount importance, contributing to the socio-economic development of Son La province and other provinces in the Northwest region, creating a breakthrough in tourism development.

In addition, localities in the province are accelerating the implementation of the new rural development program, gradually improving rural transportation infrastructure. Several transportation projects on provincial, district, and urban roads have been approved for investment, and the percentage of communes with paved roads leading to their centers has now reached 97.5%... This not only serves the transportation needs of the people but also creates intra-regional connectivity for tourism development.

Cultural and spiritual tourism area of ​​Quynh Nhai district.

Focus resources on tourism development projects.

In implementing Conclusion No. 94-KL/TU dated January 23, 2021, of the Provincial Party Committee on the development of tourism in Son La province until 2025, with a vision to 2030, the province's tourism sector has been prioritized with focused investment resources. Specifically, the province has mobilized and integrated various investment sources to support tourism development and invest in infrastructure projects such as: main arterial roads, internal roads, electricity, parks, and squares.

Districts and cities also prioritize allocating investment capital and encouraging socialized investment in community tourism destinations and building convenient services to support tourism. During the 2021-2025 period, over 1,149 billion VND was allocated to 14 tourism development projects. Over the three years, 77 investment projects were attracted to the province, including 13 projects in the fields of tourism services, agricultural tourism, and commercial services, with a registered capital of 14,515 billion VND.

In Moc Chau district, there are 18 tourism and service projects with a total investment of over 3,761 billion VND; 5 investment projects in the Moc Chau National Tourist Area with a total investment of over 1,330 billion VND (Moc Chau High-Tech Dairy Factory – Mocchaumilk, Ban Ang Pine Forest High-Class Resort and Entertainment Area, Moc Chau Island Tourist Area...). Over the past 3 years, Moc Chau has mobilized more than 1.7 billion VND from social contributions to support major events in the district.

Mr. Le Trong Binh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Moc Chau District, said: The district is focused on developing tourism infrastructure in a synchronized manner, concentrating on organizing, managing, and effectively implementing general construction plans in the district, contributing to the further development of Moc Chau National Tourist Area.

Moc Chau Happy Land Tourist Area.

Localities with tourism potential have attracted investment in projects, gradually building tourism infrastructure and basically establishing services to serve tourists. Investments include the construction of the Hua Tat Prestige Resort, the restoration of historical sites and scenic spots associated with the development of community-based tourism villages in Van Ho district; the renovation and restoration of historical and spiritual relics in Phu Yen and Song Ma districts; the improvement of landscapes at community-based tourism destinations in Muong La district; the construction of connecting roads between districts in the region in Bac Yen; the development of tourism destinations around the reservoir in Quynh Nhai; and the construction of a Martyrs' Memorial at the Deo Pha Din historical and cultural site in Thuan Chau district…

Mr. Lo Thanh Thuy, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quynh Nhai District, said: The district is developing and finalizing its tourism planning, encouraging the development of existing tourism services, and strengthening efforts to attract strategic investors to develop tourism in a professional manner. The focus is on implementing the orientation of the Quynh Nhai tourism development project to become a provincial-level tourist area, giai đoạn 2021 – 2030, striving to build attractive tourism products, creating momentum for the socio-economic development of the district in conjunction with the implementation of the new rural development task.

Binh Yen Bay, Quynh Nhai District.

The system of tourist accommodation facilities, electricity, water, commercial services, entertainment, and communication infrastructure in tourist areas and destinations has also been invested in, meeting the experiential needs of tourists. Currently, the province has more than 600 tourist accommodation establishments, including 29 hotels and resorts that have been rated from 1 to 5 stars. Telecommunications infrastructure has been strongly deployed by businesses, with 4G mobile network coverage reaching 100% of communes, wards, and towns; 98.39% of villages have 4G mobile broadband coverage.

By prioritizing resources for building a comprehensive infrastructure and making targeted investments, Son La's tourism sector is developing strongly. The established tourist areas and attractions are drawing visitors and gradually building a distinctive tourism image linked to the potential and strengths of each locality. Over the past three years, tourism revenue reached 12,600 billion VND, experiencing rapid and stable growth at 13% per year, contributing approximately 6% to the province's GRDP and boosting socio-economic development.

Source: Son La Newspaper