Hanoi may expand tourism links with provinces in the country such as Binh Dinh, Bac Giang, and Son La, officials have said.

A corner of Hanoi. Photo: Cao Anh Tuan

A series of tourism conferences held between Hanoi and other localities have been held at the Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM) 2023 in Hanoi on April 13-16 to discuss measures for effective connections.

Enhance the cultural tourism experience in Hanoi, Bac Giang and Son La

With the advantage of its geographical location, only 60 km from Hanoi, Bac Giang has a well-invested transport infrastructure, facilitating the travel of the Hanoi-Bac Giang route, according to Truong Quang Hai, Director of Bac Giang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

"The locality has more than 2,000 historical and cultural relics, of which more than 900 have been recognized as national and local cultural and historical monuments. This is a rich resource for tourism development. However, it has not been fully utilized in recent times," he said.

The iconic The Huc Bridge in Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi. Photo: Yeu Ha Noi Community

"It is necessary to conduct extensive fieldwork and surveys to create in-depth cultural tourism products tailored to each target group," he added.

Sharing the same view, Phung Quang Thang, Chairman of the Hanoi Travel Association and Deputy Director of SGO Travel Co. Ltd, said that tourist routes between Hanoi and Bac Giang can provide visitors with the best cultural and spiritual knowledge through direct experiences such as hearing, seeing and interacting.

"For example, seven newly launched tours between the two places can offer travelers exciting experiences of Vietnamese culture, history and spiritual beliefs," he said.

"In particular, the one-day excursion titled 'Hanoi - Western Yen Tu: Following in the Footsteps of Emperor Buddha' attracted many domestic and foreign travelers during the last Lunar New Year," he added.

The tour takes visitors on an emotional historical journey along the "Dharma Preaching Path" of King Tran Nhan Tong and his disciples more than 700 years ago. It is considered a major pilgrimage route to the holy land of Truc Lam Buddhism in Vietnam.

The ancient Vinh Nghiem Pagoda in Tri Yen Commune of Yen Dung District, Bac Giang Province. Photo: Vinh Nghiem Co Tu

The tour begins at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, passes by Vinh Nghiem Pagoda (where Emperor Tran Nhan Tong preached the Dharma), and finally reaches the sacred peak of the western mountain of the Yen Tu Range.

Especially at Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, where more than 3,050 woodblock prints of the Nguyen Dynasty are preserved, visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the moc ban or woodblock technique, which has been inscribed by UNESCO as World Documentary Heritage.

By joining the tour, travelers can try the experience of "being a king for a day" by making their exclusive woodblock prints to take home.

Another interesting tour that may attract travelers from Hanoi this summer is the excursion titled "Hanoi - Luc Ngan".

Travelers can visit some gardens where seasonal local specialties such as lychees, oranges, and grapefruit are mainly grown; discover the craft of making Chu noodles; immerse themselves in the beautiful natural scenery; or experience canoeing at natural tourist attractions such as Khuon Than Lake, Bau Lay Lake, or Cam Son Lake, and have other interesting tourism experiences.

Meanwhile, Hoang Tri Thuc, Chairman of the Son La Tourism Association, said that the tourism products of Son La, somehow, have already been focusing on exploiting cultural and natural values. "And the stronger cooperation between travel companies in Hanoi and the locality will bring sustainable development to Son La tourism," he said.

There will be more new travel routes between Hanoi and Son La Province in the coming period. In particular, the "Hanoi - Moc Chau Plateau" tour will be expanded, connecting with tourist destinations in Laos to enrich the cultural experience for visitors, Phung Quang Thang said.

The lush green tea hills on Moc Chau Plateau, Son La Province. Photo: Bong Hong

Two-way traveler exchange between Binh Dinh and Hanoi

Binh Dinh, home to various world-class beaches and dozens of flights to Hanoi, is another locality that should be in tourism connections. 

According to Tran Van Thanh, Director of the Binh Dinh Tourism Department, the province's tourism year will include 16 events, namely "The opening ceremony of the 2023 Binh Dinh Tourism Festival themed "Quy Nhon: Colorful Beach Tourism Paradise", "Hot Air Balloon Festival 2023", "Binh Dinh First Gift and Tourism Fair", among others.

In addition, this south-central coastal province has a prime location, accessible from the north to the south of the country by all three modes of transportation: road, rail, and air. There are now more than 10 daily flights between Hanoi and Binh Dinh Province.

This is the locality's advantage, but it needs to coordinate with Hanoi in exchanging information and diversifying tourism products to capitalize on the area's natural beauty effectively, Thanh said.

The gorgeous crystal jade beach of Quy Nhon City in Binh Dinh Province. Photo: Du lich Quy Nhon

"The tourism association helps promote the potential and strengths of each locality. For example, tourism policymakers from Hanoi and Binh Dinh would be able to share experiences and support each other to overcome the difficult period after the Covid-19 pandemic," he said. Meanwhile, tourist attractions should be between Hanoi and Binh Dinh as a 'two-way exchange of travelers' in tourism that help reduce airfares and lower tour prices.

Dang Huong Giang, Director of the Hanoi Tourism Department, said the two localities should work together to build unique tourism products while calling for investment in tourism.

"The survey aims to build a tour connecting Hanoi with Binh Dinh and Hanoi with neighboring localities should be promoted in the near future," Giang suggested.