The Bach Long Glass Bridge has always been an attractive destination for all tourists.

The Lunar New Year holiday in 2026 (Year of the Horse) will last for 9 days (from February 14th to February 22nd, 2026), creating favorable conditions for families and groups of young people to take extended spring trips. Seizing this opportunity, Son La tourism has made early preparations to meet demand and provide the best possible experience for tourists.

The highlight is the Moc Chau National Tourist Area. This year's Tet holiday saw beautiful, warm weather, resulting in a significant increase in visitors compared to the same period last year. Mr. Hoang Manh Duy, Deputy Director of Moc Chau Island Tourist Area, shared: "Along with the comprehensive tour package, visitors to Moc Chau Island during Tet can participate in many attractive and vibrant experiential activities, such as community cultural activities, performances, reenactments of the traditional culture of Son La's ethnic groups, a traditional market, food introductions, entertainment, and fireworks displays every evening. These activities provide visitors with moments of relaxation, rest, excitement, and bring the festive atmosphere of Tet to the tourist area."

A new dinosaur park has just opened at the Bản Áng pine forest tourist area. (Photo by PV)

Not only Moc Chau Island, but other well-known tourist areas in the Moc Chau plateau have launched new products or upgraded the quality and services of existing tourism products to better meet the diverse needs of tourists. Among them, the dinosaur park, recently opened just before the New Year in the Ban Ang Pine Forest Tourist Area, Moc Son ward, stands out with over 20 life-sized dinosaur models complete with movement and sound, combined with a special play and exploration area that is attractive to both adults and children. The Moc Chau Walking Street - Night Market, with its special art programs reflecting the unique culture of the highlands and community activities, attracts a large number of tourists every evening; the rose gardens and canola flower gardens in Thao Nguyen, Van Son wards and Van Ho commune have been renovated and beautified, providing ideal check-in spots for visitors from near and far… All of these create a vibrant tourism picture for this national tourist area that is flourishing day by day.

Tourists visit a mustard greens garden at Moc Chau National Tourist Area.

Having visited Moc Chau National Tourist Area many times during the early spring, Mr. Nguyen Cong Thao, a tourist from Gia Lai province, shared: "What I like most about coming here in early spring is the fresh air and beautiful scenery. My friends and I enjoy visiting flower gardens like those in Na Ka plum valley and Mu Nau. Every year, when the whole family and children come, we visit tourist areas that offer fun, relaxation, and food."

In other localities in the province, such as the Quynh Nhai lake area, Muong Gion, Ta Xua, and Ngoc Chien, early spring tourism is also bustling with visitors. Many tourist destinations opened for the spring season from the first days of the new year, welcoming crowds of people coming to enjoy the spring festivities and experiences. Mr. La Van Phong, Director of Quynh Nhai TRAVEL Joint Stock Company in Muong Gion commune, said: "Our company's stops on the lake, including Uy Phong Bay and Da Giang Island, started opening to welcome visitors from the 3rd day of Tet (Lunar New Year). During this period, we invested in renovating the landscape on the island and bay, decorating small scenes and check-in corners with a Tet atmosphere, and opening a connecting road from Uy Phong Bay to the nearby caves, giving tourists more new experiences."

A beautiful relaxation spot on Uy Phong Bay, Muong Gion commune. 

Communes and wards throughout the province also organized many activities and events for people and tourists to enjoy and experience during the Tet holiday. Notable examples include: the 2026 Mong Tet program with the theme "Ta So - Spring is Coming" in Moc Chau ward; the New Year's Eve fireworks display with the theme "Moc Chau Spring Colors 2026"; recreational activities in Chieng Di 2, Van Ho commune; and the "Spring Festival to Honor Uncle Ho" jointly organized by the four wards of To Hieu, Chieng An, Chieng Coi, and Chieng Sinh at Tay Bac Square. Spiritual tourism sites and historical relics were also decorated, organized activities, and proactively welcomed visitors to offer incense and worship at the beginning of the year. Security, environmental sanitation, and fire prevention were ensured. Units, organizations, and individuals operating tourism services and accommodation establishments strictly complied with business regulations and provided good service to tourists.

According to statistics, during the Lunar New Year holiday of the Year of the Horse 2026, the province welcomed nearly 300,000 tourists, a 20% increase compared to the same period last year. Notably, the number of international tourists increased significantly, reaching nearly 1,300, a 50% increase. Domestic tourists remained dominant with over 298,000 arrivals. The average room occupancy rate reached an impressive 85%, with many localities in the Moc Chau National Tourist Area achieving 100% occupancy during the Tet holiday. Total revenue from tourism services is estimated at 360 billion VND. This demonstrates the growing appeal of Son La tourism on its development journey.

The positive developments right from the beginning of the new year provide a strong impetus for Son La's tourism industry to continue its breakthrough, striving to achieve the goal of welcoming over 5.8 million visitors and generating over 7,000 billion VND in tourism service revenue in 2026. With the right direction and strong investment in transportation infrastructure, especially the Hoa Binh - Moc Chau expressway which is nearing completion, Son La is gradually building an attractive destination on the Northwest tourism arc and affirming its position on the Vietnamese tourism map.

 

 

Thanh Dao