Tourism Made Important Economic Sector

Bac Giang has diverse, rich and unique tourism resources and outstanding advantages for tourism development. To tap into its full potential, the tourism industry has focused on developing a variety of tourism products, attracting investment capital and actively developing Bac Giang tourism into an important economic sector.

Vinh Nghiem Pagoda is a popular tourist destination in Bac Giang province

Various tourism stimulus measures

The tourism sector of Bac Giang province has focused on carrying out key tasks coupled with various stimulus measures to renew demand and restore tourism and travel activities in the province; and intensify tourism promotion and advertisement. In particular, the sector has stepped up digital transformation, smart tourism development and information technology application to tourism; and developed green and sustainable tourism. Thanks to effective tourism stimulus solutions, visitor arrivals to Bac Giang increased rapidly in the first quarter of 2023, estimated at over 1 million arrivals, more than three times higher than that in the same period in 2022.

The province has also concentrated on developing key tourism products such as cultural and spiritual tourism, eco leisure tourism, recreational golfing tourism, and countryside-based community tourism. These products are associated with popular tourist attractions of the province such as Tay Yen Tu Tourist Area with "The road to propagate the Buddha Dharma of the Buddhist ancestors of Truc Lam Yen Tu", Mo Stream eco-tourism area and Bo Da Pagoda in Viet Yen district.

The Bac Giang tourism sector also successfully hosted cultural and tourism events, leaving good impressions on tourists: Bac Giang Culture and Tourism Week 2023 themed “Sacred Spirit of Tay Yen Tu”. Many remarkable events were held during the week, including the first Buddha Music Night Program; the Procession Ceremony of Cu Tran Lac Dao Phu Woodblock (a masterwork by Buddha Emperor Tran Nhan Tong) from Vinh Nghiem Pagoda to Upper Tay Yen Tu Pagoda. The procession was recognized by the Vietnam Record Organization as the largest Buddhist ritual procession in Vietnam. In addition, the province hosted a workshop on building typical tourism products in Tay Yen Tu scenic spot, sweet fruit season travel program, and tourism development cooperation program between Ho Chi Minh City and eight Northeastern provinces.

Sustainable tourism development

The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has actively advocated developing mechanisms and policies to mobilize and effectively use investment resources for tourism development. Specifically, the province announced the Bac Giang community tourism development project in 2022-2030; and completed the draft resolution of the Provincial People's Council on support policies on Bac Giang community tourism development in 2023-2030. This draft resolution was approved by the Bac Giang Provincial People’s Council (19th term) on July 14, 2023. This is considered a very important policy for the province to speed up construction, formation and effective use of one of the province's four key tourism products: Community-based tourism associated with fruit orchards, traditional craft villages, agricultural products, rural areas and cultural heritages recognized by UNESCO.

Bac Giang is determined to make tourism an important economic sector and play an increasingly important role in the province's economic structure. The province will develop sustainable tourism, coupled with conservation and promotion of cultural heritages and good traditional values, environmental protection and nature conservation, worker employment and social security. The province will build and position Bac Giang tourism brand, based on strengths and advantages of midland and mountainous regions with diverse and rich terrain, large fruit gardens and many intangible cultural heritages recognized by UNESCO. In the coming time, Bac Giang province will soon form a number of tourist and general service areas of the provincial level, including large-scale tourist areas with prominent brands, create a ripple effect on tourism development and become a national tourist area. It will build Bac Giang tourism brand as an attractive, safe, friendly and hospitable destination of the Northern midland and mountainous region.

By Nguyen Dung, Vietnam Business Forum