To diversify its offerings, Ha Nam Province's tourism must strengthen links with neighboring provinces and cities, including Hanoi. It is necessary to build links between itineraries and to have policies encouraging businesses to invest in infrastructure.

These are some suggestions from Hanoi-based tourism companies on developing tourism in the northern province of Ha Nam.

According to Nguyen Tuan Anh, Vice President of UNESCO Hanoi Travel Club, the tourism industry in Ha Nam needs to improve its infrastructure, including hotels, restaurants, and related services. To this end, Ha Nam Province has to adopt more mechanisms and policies on infrastructure and construction to attract investment capital for the tourism industry.

Nguyen Van Tai, Director of VietSense Travel, added that Hanoi's tourism needs to strengthen its connections with provinces and cities in the northern delta region, building joint tours suitable for each specific tourist flow.

Tam Chuc Pagoda, with its beautiful scenery and impressive architecture, is a must-see in Ha Nam. Photo: Linh Anh/The Hanoi Times

"By building this connection, Ha Nam tourism will have the opportunity to exchange tourists with Hanoi and other provinces and cities," Tai said.

Nguyen Le Phuc, Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, offered many suggestions for sustainable tourism development in Ha Nam Province. For example, the province needs to strengthen its marketing, paying special attention to digital media. Meanwhile, local authorities should plan tourism promotion with focal points in line with product development and tourism brand building.

"Ha Nam must continue to build on its advantages and focus on creating distinctive tourism products linked to environmental protection and the preservation of traditional cultural values, in addition to policies that support investment in tourism and infrastructure. The focus should be on smart tourism, which combines digital technology with cultural heritage," Phuc said.

On October 18, Ha Nam's leaders signed a memorandum of understanding with representatives of Binh Dinh and Ha Giang provinces and the UNESCO Hanoi Travel Club to strengthen cooperation in tourism. 

Hanoi tourism businesses signed cooperation agreements with Ha Nam Province. Photo: Hoai Nam/The Hanoi Times

Ha Nam Province has great potential for tourism development such as eco-tourism, golf tourism, and cultural tourism due to its proximity to important tourist destinations in the Red River Delta such as Huong Pagoda (Hanoi), Pho Hien (Hung Yen), Tran Temple (Nam Dinh), and Bai Dinh-Trang An Complex (Ninh Binh).  

In the first nine months of 2024, Ha Nam welcomed about 4.2 million visitors, and total tourism revenue reached more than VND3.2 trillion (US$133 million).

The World Travel Awards recognized Ha Nam as "The World's Leading Local Cultural Destination" and "Asia's Leading Emerging Tourism Destination" in 2023 and 2024, respectively.