Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - With its incredible tea plantations, breathtakingnature trails, rugged hills, and diverse ethnic minorities, the Northwestprovince of Son La is something of a shining gem in the country, but untilrecently, it has not truly made waves on the tourist map.

But this is changing fast, and the clean, green province is now seen as one ofthe world's top destinations, with people visiting from every corner of theglobe.

Son La, one of the highest provinces in the north, offers chilly and freshsurroundings that are ideal for relaxing holidays, where you can escape fromthe hustle and bustle of stressful urban life. It is rich in cultural treasuresand characteristics that leave tourists in awe. Given the province's wealth ofnatural resources, tourism has emerged as a key economic driver. A visit here,is simply like no other.

Tourism products of all kinds, including those for recreation, wellness,training, discovery, and spirituality are a major area of development in thearea. In recent years, the province has identified tourism as an area yet to beexplored and is reaching out to investors to help map out possible areas to putmoney into the local economy.

Untapped potential

A conference to boost connections to promote the value of the province as aworld leading natural destination was recently hosted by the People's Committeeof Son La as part of the province's Cultural Tourism Festival this year.

Leaders from the National Administration of Tourism, the Department of Tourismof Quang Ninh province, the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in eightNorthwest provinces, provinces associated with development cooperation in SonLa, tourism associations, and more than 30 tourism businesses, operators, andcooperatives attended the conference.

Expertise in creating professional tourism products was debated and shared at theevent, leading to the creation of new tourism products and tours that havehelped boost the industry across Vietnam in general and the Northwest region inparticular.

Some delegates highlighted solutions to enhance the attractiveness of Son La's MocChau district – the world's top regional natural destination – as well aspromoting the Moc Chau National Tourist Area more extensively.

According to Phung Quang Thang, Vice Chairman of the Vietnan TravelAssociation, the province must first establish links within destinations aswell as with tourist service providers and local people to build a colourfuland clear vision for Moc Chau tourism.

"To optimally exploit Son La's potential, it is necessary to fosterconnections between travellers in other regions and international connections.In addition, Son La's tourism sector should increase the use of technology,particularly to increase destination management efficiency," Thang said.

"Son La's tourism must also pay special attention to environmentalconservation and develop a comprehensive, genuine strategy with the activeinvolvement of the local destination management agency."

Vice Chairman of the Son La Tourism Association Le Van Huu is certain that theprovince can accommodate the demands of both local and international visitorsthanks to its various attractions. However, the province has to prioritiseinvesting funds in infrastructure and increasing human resources to achieve thequality needed to meet standards.

"Media advancement must be on par with service quality to avoid situationsin which visitors come once out of curiosity but never return," Huu said.

"Furthermore, product investment should focus on leveraging thedistinctive indigenous cultural aspects, explicitly outlining the building oftourism locations and creating a good fit for each category of visitor."

Positive signals

Son La's tourist industry has developed throughout the years, capitalising onthe area's tremendous natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. Ecotourism,resorts, and community-based tourism are all represented here.

The Moc Chau National Tourist Area, Bach Long glass bridge, Moc Chau nightmarket, Quynh Nhai tourist area, and Ta Xua are just a few examples of the manytourist sites and attractions that lure domestic and foreign tourists alike tothe magical northwestern province.

Recognition in 2022 as "The World's Leading Regional NatureDestination" at a recent World Travel Awards has contributed to theconsistently rising number of visitors to Son La.

Visitors to Son La reached an estimate of 3.3 million people, with revenue atnearly 3 trillion VND last year.

In the first five months of 2023 alone, the number of tourist arrivals was morethan 2 million, with total revenue at more than 2 trillion VND.

The culture, sports and tourism authority of Son La hopes that the NationalAdministration for Tourism (NAT) will continue to pay attention to and assistin tourism development activities in the province.

In particular, the provincial tourism authority also hopes that NAT will helpcomplete the four remaining criteria and compile a dossier for recognition of MocChau National Tourist Area in 2023; add the province to the list of potentialareas to develop into a national tourist area; and support the promotion of tourismin the province./.