Bach Long Glass Bridge at Moc Chau Island Tourist Area.

The 2024 VITA Awards, honoring outstanding businesses and individuals in Vietnam's tourism industry, is part of the Vietnam International Tourism Fair - VITM Hanoi 2025, held in Hanoi from April 10-13, with the theme "Developing Green Destinations, Elevating Vietnamese Tourism". This is an annual event of the Vietnam Tourism Association, aiming to honor outstanding businesses and individuals with excellent achievements and positive contributions in the fields of tourism accommodation, travel, and tourism services. In addition to the three individuals honored and awarded for their outstanding contributions to the activities of the local tourism association and the tourism industry, Son La province proudly has six collectives – businesses with high-quality and attractive tourism products and services – recognized in categories that highlight the province's strengths.

The Dai Yem Waterfall Ecotourism Area, owned by Pha Luong Tourism Joint Stock Company in Moc Chau town, is honored to be one of the destinations recognized for receiving the most visitors each year. Dai Yem Waterfall is a scenic spot in Moc Chau, and has been a focus of tourism development since its early days. With its pristine and majestic natural landscape and stunning waterfall system, the Dai Yem Waterfall Ecotourism Area offers unique experiential tourism services, making it an attractive destination within the Moc Chau National Tourist Area, welcoming tens of thousands of visitors annually.

Tourists visit the Dai Yem Waterfall eco-tourism area in Moc Chau town.

Mr. Dinh Hong Phuc, Deputy Director of Pha Luong Tourism Joint Stock Company, informed: Currently, the Dai Yem Waterfall Ecotourism Area has received significant investment in many major projects, most notably the four-season flower lake, the glass love bridge, the viewing pavilion, the market, and the four-season flower hill... Along with investing in exploiting the beauty of Dai Yem Waterfall to develop tourism, the company also pays special attention to complying with regulations on construction to ensure that the structures are appropriate, do not disrupt the natural landscape, and protect the environment and natural scenery of the scenic spot.

Son La boasts many attractive and eco-friendly community tourism destinations. At the VITA Awards 2025, Uy Phong Bay, managed by Quynh Nhai TRAVEL Joint Stock Company, and Ta So village in Chieng Hac commune, Moc Chau town, were honored as exemplary community-based eco-tourism destinations. These destinations are developed with a focus on preserving the landscape and local culture, and optimally exploiting the strengths of the locality. These destinations consistently offer visitors impressive and captivating experiences, attracting tourists and encouraging repeat visits.

Uy Phong Bay, Quynh Nhai.

Sharing his feelings about his company's product being honored at the VITA Awards 2025, Mr. La Van Phong, Director of Quynh Nhai TRAVEL Joint Stock Company, said: "This award is an honor and a source of pride for Quynh Nhai TRAVEL, and also a recognition of the efforts and determination of myself and my young colleagues who want to contribute to changing our homeland and exploiting the potential of Quynh Nhai Lake to develop tourism. This achievement also motivates us to continue striving to improve our tourism products and develop new services, better meeting the needs of tourists who want to explore and experience the Son La hydroelectric lake."

In addition to the destinations mentioned above, there is also Hoa Moc Chau Restaurant of Hoa Moc Chau Cooperative, which was honored as the restaurant serving the most tourists this year. Moc Chau Island Tourist Area - Bach Long Glass Bridge was certified to meet the criteria of the VITA Green Tourism Criteria and achieved the "VITA Green" tourism destination label at the excellent level. Thao Nguyen Hotel & Resort was certified to meet the criteria of the VITA Green Tourism Criteria and achieved the "VITA Green" tourism accommodation label at the advanced level.

Experience the beauty of Uy Phong Bay, Quynh Nhai.

The VITA GREEN Green Tourism Certification is a label developed and implemented by the Vietnam Tourism Association, based on a comprehensive set of evaluation criteria across four main areas: tourist destinations, tourist accommodation, travel agencies, and food and beverage establishments serving tourists. The Green Tourism criteria are built on the main pillars of: environment, culture, community, and education. These criteria are divided into three levels: Standard, Advanced, and Excellent, enabling businesses to gradually approach and achieve green goals in a flexible manner.

Mr. Hoang Manh Duy, Deputy Executive Director of Moc Chau Island Tourist Area, shared: "The 'VITA Green' tourism destination certification at the excellent level is the result of Moc Chau Island's diligent efforts in building and developing over the years. This certification also reaffirms Moc Chau Island's brand as a green and attractive destination, and is a motivation for us to continue developing the tourist area's services in a sustainable direction."

Beautiful natural scenery at Bach Long Glass Bridge - Moc Chau Island Tourist Area.

The achievements at the VITA Awards 2025 were significantly contributed by the Provincial Tourism Association in connecting, creating opportunities for tourism promotion, and guiding the development of tourism businesses in the province. Mr. Hoang Chi Thuc, Chairman of the Provincial Tourism Association, stated: "The awards at the VITA Awards 2025 have demonstrated the development and affirmed the brand and reputation of Son La's tourism products. In the future, the Provincial Tourism Association will continue to work alongside businesses, strengthen collaborative development activities, promote communication linked to digital transformation, and guide tourism businesses to develop products and services that meet the criteria of the VITA Green Tourism Standards."

The tourism businesses honored at the VITA Awards 2025 will be "shining stars," further motivating the development of Son La tourism, creating more quality products and services, and attracting tourists from all over to experience them. Developing VITA Green tourism products will also be an important direction for the rapid and sustainable development of Son La tourism.

Thanh Dao, Hoang Giang