Vietnam Tourism Project to Link Eight Northwestern Provinces

Local authorities, officials from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), tour operators, and regional training institutions gathered in Lao Cai City on 27 December 2011 to discuss the nation’s largest tourist development project, which is being undertaken in eight northwestern mountain provinces and set to start in 2012.

Among the first steps being taken is the establishment of the Northwest Travel Destination Management Board to coordinate interregional tourism, according to a Viet Nam News report.

Community-based tourism projects will be set up in ethnic villages to preserve local culture, protect the environment, and offer visitors authentic experiences.

The eight provinces – Dien Bien, Yen Bai, Son La, Hoa Binh, Phu Tho, Ha Giang, Lai Chau, and Lao Cai – will also receive support for their official websites.

Partcipants at the meeting agreed for the need to build unique tourism products to harness the cultural and natural advantages of the region.

VNAT Deputy Director, Hoang Thi Diep, said the current tourism development approach did not meet visitor demand, despite attracting 1 million tourists a year.

“We will work with local authorities to sort out the obstacles hampering tourism development and find out solutions,” she said.

Private sector representatives said one of the top issues is the low quality of human resources, as most of those who offer community-based tourism have inadequate training, and need to upgrade their skills.

The new project will be funded by an 11 million euro (USD14.3 million) grant from the European Union and 1.1 million euro (USD1.43 million) from the Vietnamese Government.

Source: VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

For more information:

Visit: www.vietnamtourism.gov.vn