A tourism programme called “Return to the Roots†has attracted large numbers of visitors, contributing to the industry’s annual revenue growth of 16.7 percent.
The remark was made at a conference in the northern province of Phu Tho on December 1.
This year, Phu Tho alone, which has a temple complex of Hung Kings believed to be the founders of the Vietnamese nation, has received 6 million visitors.
Nguyen Van Tuan, Head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) praised the effectiveness of these provinces’ cooperation activities since the launch of the programme ten years ago.
To make the programme a greater success, Tuan suggested that Lao Cai province should focus on developing tourism in mountainous areas like Sapa and Bac Ha to introduce its beauty and preserve the unique cultural identity of ethnic groups.
The quality of the tour of Hung Kings Temple Complex should be improved and the Xoan singing, which has been recently recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, should also be further promoted by Phu Tho province, said Tuan.
Meanwhile, he said, Yen Bai province should pay more attention to offering tourism products of the terrace fields in Mu Cang Chai and Thac Ba Lake.