Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Binh visiting booths introducing healthcare products at "Wellness Tourism Weekend" 2023 organized by the Department of Tourism

Creating highlights from differences

In early March 2024, the province's tourism industry organized a fam trip "Central region Paradise" with the journey Da Nang - Cu Lao Cham/Son Tra - Hue - Thanh Tan - Kien Trung Palace - Dai Nam Medical Hospital. The fam trip program through many tourist destinations is in line with the trend of regional integration, but it is worth noting that the healthcare services in Hue that travel businesses experience this time will be sold on tours, starting from March 9, 2024.

The leader of Thua Thien Hue Department of Tourism said that in Hue, this tour takes healthcare products and services as the main theme, associated them with sightseeing and exploring heritage and culture in Hue. The tour will be available for sale on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday every week. In recent times, the provincial government and the tourism industry always want to develop a variety of tourism services associated with Hue's resources and tourism advantages; which support the key products being associated with culture and heritage; strongly promote Hue's main brand names, which are Hue - Culinary Capital, Hue - the Capital of Ao Dai, Hue - A Festival City, etc. With many advantages in terms of geography and potential for developing healthcare tourism, the research into product development has been carried out very thoroughly in recent times and will now be put into operation to serve tourists.

Guests experiencing spa services at Allba Thanh Tan

The experience itinerary is Thanh Tan - Hue Ancient Capital - Convertible Double Decker bus. At Thanh Tan Hot Springs (Allba Thanh Tan), guests will visit and relax in hot mineral baths to purify their bodies; listen to an introduction to the history of the hot mineral springs, and go to the forest to visit the spotted deer garden, the farm, and visit the natural springs; freely experience the resort's activities. Guests will also be able to participate in water park games and experience pottery making, stone painting, etc. at the craft village; experience a convertible double-decker bus to tour around the romantic ancient capital at night.

During this journey, guests can also visit Kien Trung Palace - a majestic building of the Imperial City of the Nguyen Dynasty, that is attracting the attention of many tourists. Also at Dai Nam Medical Hospital, in addition to visiting and learning about the quintessence of traditional medicine of the nation, which ensures medical safety for the King, mandarins, and Royal Family of the Nguyen Dynasty throughout the 13 generations of the Nguyen Kings (1802-1945), guests can also receive healthcare advice from senior physicians using a combination of Eastern and Western medicine methods without using medicines, and experience relaxing foot therapy and herbal foot baths at Thai Y Duong; experience massage and acupressure at the spa. In addition, guests can also visit the Royal Bo Chinh Ginseng facility; this ginseng was a product to presented to the King. This precious ginseng was discovered by the Cham people more than 300 years ago in Bo Chinh region (Quang Binh now); have a macrobiotic meal at An Nhien Garden restaurant.

Physician Phan Tan To checking the pulse of a customer at Dai Nam Medical Hospital

According to Mr. Truong Thanh Minh, Director of the Tourism Promotion Information Center, travel agencies nationwide still have tourism products associated with healthcare, however, there are no complete healthcare-targeted tours, so when exploiting this tourism product, Hue will work with businesses to build tour programs with specific themes according to the needs of each customer market.

Hue's advantage with healthcare tourism is huge. Vice Chairman of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism Nguyen Le Phuc once pointed out that besides the Hue Monuments Complex, the system of pagodas and temples, natural landscapes, lagoon systems, and many beautiful beaches, Thua Thien Hue has up to 7 hot mineral water sources. Among them, two hot water sources have been exploited, forming resorts for health and tourism.

Along with that, Thua Thien Hue also has a system of high-class resorts and hotels built in peaceful spaces along the hillsides, along the banks of the Huong River, or stretching on the beaches, easily blending in with the surrounding nature and suitable for exploiting resort, healthcare, and medical tourism such as Laguna Lang Co, Vedana Lagoon, Pilgrimage Village, Hue Riverside Boutique, Hue Ecolodge, etc.

Even in the inner city, there is also a hotel system that combines accommodation and medical examination and treatment services in the form of traditional oriental medicine such as Spatel D'Annam of Dai Nam Medical Hospital Company, or has high-class spa services such as Azerai La Residence, SilkPath Grand, Melia Vinpearl, Senna, etc. All of these resources have become strengths in developing healthcare tourism, attracting domestic and foreign tourists.

Along with an extremely rich system of medicinal plants, the land of the Ancient Capital also has a long-standing traditional medicine system and many famous physicians. A unique feature in the historical development of oriental medicine in Hue is that oriental medicine served the royal court with medicine developed at a high level organized, managed, and represented by the royal court, especially the Royal Hospital of the Nguyen Dynasty. Western medicine in Hue is also considered not inferior to the other two parts of the country with a system of hospitals with modern infrastructure and equipment, especially Hue Central Hospital and Hue Medicine and Pharmacy University Hospital, and soon there will be more international hospital projects implemented. Those make a difference when Hue exploits healthcare products.

Complete and in-depth

With the current tourism trend of tourists, Thua Thien Hue is still making efforts to connect and focus on linking regions and localities to build tourism products. Healthcare tourism is not simply about healthcare but also combines sightseeing, relaxation, exploration, and experience while still taking healthcare services as the main focus. Healthcare services for tourists often include beauty and anti-aging, healthy diet, nutrition and weight loss, exercise, spas, hot mineral springs, etc.

 Soaking in hot mineral water to purify the body at Thanh Tan tourist area

According to a representative of the Department of Tourism, in recent times, healthcare tourism products have been upgraded to suit tourist needs. In the coming time, high-end resort services and modern medical services of Hue Central International Hospital will be combined so that tourists can have a general health check; even on-site health check-up activities at the resort for guests.

In addition, the province's tourism industry will build tours for visitors to experience meditation and Buddhist culture associated with meditation to help improve and balance body - mood - mind.

Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc, Director of the Department of Tourism affirmed that the healthcare tour will become more and more complete and professional. The province's tourism industry and businesses will be more connected, especially the links between travel companies and units providing medical examination, treatment, therapy, spa, massage, etc., to create medical examination and treatment tourism. In addition, there will be a focus on promoting Hue's healthcare tourism brand to tourists from near and far.

Story and photo: Huu Phuc