HCM City, northeastern provinces boost tourism links
Ho Chi Minh City and eight northeastern provinces have defined developing typical creative tours, routes and destinations as a key activity to boost their tourism links in the coming time.
Covering a total area of 4,842.58 sq.km, the Lang Son Geopark is one of the largest of its kind in Vietnam. (Photo: VNA)
Lang Son (VNA)൩ – Ho Chi Minh City and eight northeastern provinces have defined developing typical creative tours, routes and destinations as a key activity to boost their tourism links in the coming time.
Speaking at a meeting to review their tourism cooperation in the 2024-2025 period in Lang Son province on November 3, Director of the Lang Son provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Dang An said that in 2024, HCM City and the eight provinces of Bac Kan, Bac Giang, Cao Bang, Lang Son, Thai Nguyen, Tuyen Quang, Quang Ninh, and Vinh Phuc defined to promote local tourism products, as well as diverse and unique natural tourism resources of the region, which contributed to the tourism sector's recovery and development, and the country's socio-economic development.
With the support of HCM City, the tourism promotion of the northeastern provinces saw positive changes with more tourism services and products launched to attract visitors.
However, the linkages among the provinces are still loose and the service quality is uneven, affecting tourists’ experiences, and reducing the region’s tourism attraction, An said.
He held that in 2025, HCM City and the northeastern provinces will study, develop and renew unique and typical tourism products of the region; expand the tourist market and develop separate promotion strategies for each product, tour and connecting route.
The provinces and HCM City will coordinate to implement tourism promotion programmes in key international tourism markets such as China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, India and Europe, and participate in international tourism promotion events.
Director of the HCM City Department of Tourism Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa said that the northeastern provinces need to soon develop smart tourism interactive maps at tourist sites to help tourists easily access information and tours in the region./.
The Lang Son Geopark in the northern province of Lang Son has been officially recognised as a UNESCO Global Geopark by the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council, according to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Measures to optimise transportation methods at border gates and promote cross-border tourism cooperation at Tan Thanh (Vietnam) – Po Chai (China), and Coc Nam (Vietnam) – Nong Yao (China) border gates were discussed at the talks between the People’s Committee of the northern mountainous border province of Lang Son and the Party Committee of Chongzuo city, China’s Guangxi province, on August 27.
Experts of the UNESCO Global Geopark Network have suggested the northern province of Lang Son to pay special attention to educating local community about the values of the Lang Son Geopark and enhancing local community’s responsibility in preserving the geopark.
The first and only direct service connecting the two countries at the moment is set to operate three times per week using the modern wide-body Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.
Mu Cang Chai is home to nearly 83,000 hectares of forest, including almost 60,000 hectares of unspoiled natural woodland. Recognising this potential, local authorities have embraced a holistic strategy that protects biodiversity while promoting tourism.
Phu Quoc ranks among the top 10 leading tourist islands in Asia. As the largest island in Vietnam, it boasts stunning natural beauty, with expansive coral reefs resting beneath the sea and a number of beautiful, poetic beaches such as Sao, Truong, and Khem, known for their fine white sand and crystal-clear waters.
Vietnam's national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet are among the exhibitors, promoting key destinations such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Phu Quoc, as well as distinctive tourism products.
Alexander Musikhin, Vice President of ATOR and CEO of the Intourist travel agency, highlighted Vietnam as a top destination offering a unique blend of beach holidays and cultural excursions.
According to Seoul’s Tourism Industry Department, approximately 20,000 Vietnamese visitors travel to the city each year for medical treatment. Vietnam consistently ranks among the top 10 countries with the highest number of medical tourists to Seoul.
An analysis of accommodation search data based on check-in dates for June and July revealed that Nha Trang surpassed all other destinations in popularity among Korean users.
The programme is organised by the Khanh Hoa provincial Youth Union and the “Khanh Hoa people speak English” Project, and aims to promote the culture, history, cuisine and other tourism products of Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa to international visitors.
VNAT Director General Nguyen Trung Khanh called visa a golden ticket to pulling in crowds, but he is clear that it needs coordinated efforts across multiple sectors to keep the momentum going in this fast-moving global travel scene.
As a tourism hub, Hanoi is now actively developing strategies to attract Muslim travellers. In recent years, the city has seen a notable uptick in visitors from countries with large Muslim populations.
When tourists witness firsthand the passion and care of farmers, they’re willing to pay higher prices because they see the genuine worth behind every product.
During the first five months, China continued to be Vietnam's largest source market of tourists, followed by the RoK, China’s Taiwan, the US, and Japan.
After more than three months of operation, the popularity of the free tours in Bac Ninh province shows no signs of cooling down. Many tourists return every week in hopes of experiencing all the tours and visiting every destination.
Typical products of Phu Tho are being showcased at the Lao Cai International Travel Mart 2025, held in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai from June 5-8.
Featuring 130 stalls and delegations from 120 travel agencies representing more than ten countries and territories, the event is expected to provide a platform for establishing partnerships and attracting more visitors to Lao Cai in the future.
Kicking off the festival on the evening of June 7 will be the grand music concert titled “Nha Trang Say Hi”, featuring popular artists from the trending show “Anh Trai Say Hi”. The event will be broadcast live nationwide and conclude with a fireworks display over Nha Trang Bay.
Data from Booking.com reveals that during the peak summer vacation in June and July, beach trips continue to be a top priority for Vietnamese travellers.
The northern midland province of Phu Tho has carried out all-round measures to improve tourism infrastructure, services, and offerings, elevating visitor experience and reinforcing the province’s unique cultural identity.
Hanoi has directed lodging providers and tourist destinations to bolster preparations in staffing, service quality, security, and sanitation. Community-based lodging platforms such as Airbnb are also being promoted strongly to expand housing supply during the holiday period.
