There is a hike in the number of visitor to Suoi Mo ecological tourism site this year.

Outstanding efforts

Many local agencies and residents suspected on the proposal of turning the tourism into the key economy in 2010 because there were a few of visitors and rarely foreign tourists coming to Bac Giang while the hotel was almost empty in the last years.

However, the leaders of the provincial Party Committee and People’s Committee strongly instructed all the authority levels to take the utmost effort on implementing the plan and campaign, building mechanism and policy to lure the enterprises’ investment while prioritizing the budget sources to actively support the land clerance. And the current result has proved for the province’s correct orientation.

All levels of authority have been aware of the tourism’s important role in socio-economic development, especially the present period. Basing on the actual situation, the localities have set their own targets and solutions to accelerate the tourism potentials.

Duong Ngoc Chien, Vice Director of Department of Planning and Investment, spoke positively of attracting the investment on the tourism. For instance, the main route’s surface of the road No.293 and the sub-roads have been basically completed, especially the sub-lane to Vinh Nghiem pagoda to cut down the distance between Bac Giang city and Tay Yen Tu spiritual ecological tourism site. Besides, it is much more easier to travel on the new route from the national road No.37 to Trung Son commune (Viet Yen) to lead the visitor to Bo Da pagoda.

To date, many projects have been put in operation including Xuong Giang Ancient Citadel, Yen Dung golf course, Truc Lam Phuong Hoang Zen Monastery and house for preservation and exhibition of Vinh Nghiem pagoda woodblocks. Typically, the key items in the first construction period for Tay Yen Tu spiritual ecological tourism site with a total investment of some 1.2 trillion VND (52.8 million USD) has almost been completed such as Lower temple, Upper temple, cable system as well as restoration of Quang Phuc pagoda in Tien Luc commune (Lang Giang) and Than Nhan Trung temple (Viet Yen).

Besides, the additional services are more varied by a developed chain of supermarkets, commercial mall to provide the tourists with more selections and destinations.

Apart from the infrastructure, the local authority has focused on the tourism introduction and promotion by instructing the departments, sectors and organizations to coordinate with the communication channels in the province and nationwide to accelerate the potentials by helding the event, festival, trade fair, exhibition, survey and promotion conference.

Thanks to the efforts, the number of visitors to Bac Giang province has witnessed consecutive growth for recent years with 142,000 visitors in 2010; 525,000 visitors in 2016 and recorded figure of 1.1 million visitors by September meanwhile the target of 2017 was set of 1 million visitors.

Difficulty in visitor retaining

The tourists visit Bo Da pagoda (Viet Yen).

With some typical achievements, Bac Giang province has been left behind in the tourism competition. The professional survey showed that the number of visitors to Bac Giang destinations was lowest compared to the surrounding provinces of Thai Nguyen, Lang Son, Bac Ninh, Hai Duong and Quang Ninh.

Though the figure has been much increased in 2017, the majority of visitors includes public servants on business trip, relatives visitors, tradesmen for agricultural purchase, researcher and students taking free time to drop by the festival as well as short stay tourists with low arising expense (accounting for 2 – 3 percent of the total figure). Additionally, the local poor facility is not enough to host the regional and national event. The tourism services are monotonous which cannot attract the visitors.

Potentials’ selection and promotion

The tourism is an integrated sector among region, department, and socialization; thus it is a must requirement for the linkage. Nguyen Tien Sy, General Director of Hanoi Planning Joint Stock Company (the agency to adjust the development plan of culture, sports and tourism of Bac Giang province to 2020, vision to 2030) informed that Bac Giang provincial tourism sector is now low ranking, just like the “sub-dishes”and temporary stop for tourists on their way to other provines and city as Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Lang Son and Quang Ninh. Thus, these above localities are partner and competitors also.

The provincial authority should pay more attention to the unique product made by the local culture in order to attract the visitors. The beautiful landscape is not enough and the tourism resources are forever potential without investment.

Many provinces have succeeded in target markets by creating the “artificial products” when finding the true professional investor. Particularly, Bac Giang province should take great effort on seeking several strategic investors to build high-quality outstanding tourism products, prioritizing investment on the superior resort and entertainment areas to the potential projects as Dong Cao, Khuon Than lake, Tho Ha ancient village, Nham Bien mountain, Xuan Lung – Thac Nga waterfall site. The local authority needs to careful study with focal point and schedule, avoiding the overspread situation.

In addition, Nguyen Tien Sy warned of the investor selection in some localities. Though Bac Giang tends to widely welcome the investment to the province, it should careful consider on selecting the qualified enterprises to implement the target, preventing fake investor with wrong land using purpose, delayed schedule or landscape destruction. Despite the late start-up, Bac Giang province gains certain advantages and precious experiences from others’ failure.

The Cable station has been basically completed in Tay Yen Tu spiritual ecological tourism complex to welcome visitors to Tay Yen Tu Spring Festival in early of 2018. Photo: Viet Hung.

Trademark building

Under the current competitiveness, it is crucial to build the signature tourism product with high quality. Tran Minh Ha, Director of Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism pressed on the provincial orientation for tourism development. The Governmental authority prioritizes the investment on qualified infrastructure, supporting facilities, power and water supply, environmental treatment, human resource training, restoration of historical sites and landscapes while the enterprises are responsible for building the specific services.

As soon as the Tourism Law takes effect in 2018, Bac Giang province will adjust the Development Plan of Culture, Sports and Tourism to 2020, with the vision to 2030; announce the list of investment projects in the provincial tourism site and area; complete the mechanism and policy to create favour condition for investors in the complexes of hi-quality ecological tourism, resort, entertainment while protecting the natural resources and environment.

The local province targets to create the specific tourism products with a detailed address for visitors by 2020. One of the key tasks is to build and develop Tay Yen Tu spiritual ecological tourism site into a local highlight destination. Various channels of promotion should be utilized including domestical and foreign communication methods, television film and social networks. Additionally, the local authority must pay the special attention to building the civilized and friendly destinations, training the serving behavior and forming the tourism culture for the service suppliers.

Kim Hieu – Nguyen Huong