To turn cultural heritage into a resource for tourism development - Part 2: Open roads, don't miss opportunities

QTO - For the 2025-2030 term, the Resolution of the 1st Provincial Party Congress has identified the development of cultural industry and cultural tourism as one of the key tasks to turn tourism into a spearhead economic sector. This is both an opportunity and a challenge, requiring long-term, sustainable strategies, plans and solutions to not miss out on development opportunities.

Passing on the love of heritage to tourists

During the recent meeting and exchange between folk culture clubs hosted by the Le Thuy Folk Song Artists Club, the artists all expressed their wish to continue to pass on their love of Vietnamese cultural heritage to visitors from near and far, especially young people.

Meritorious artist Nguyen Thi Ly, Head of the Le Thuy Ho Khoan Artisan Club, said that in fact, the club participates in performances whenever invited by tourist groups. However, such occasions are quite rare. The club really wants to contribute more to the development of local tourism, becoming a part of tourism products in a systematic and professional manner. In particular, it is necessary to train the artisans in tourism skills. Only then will Le Thuy Ho Khoan have the opportunity to be known and welcomed more.

Traveling to experience the unique culture of ethnic minorities promises to attract tourists - Photo: Netin Travel

Meritorious artist Nguyen Thanh Hong, Chairman of the Song Hien Folk Song Club (Vinh Linh commune) said: Previously, the Club had cherished the plan to launch a river tour, enjoying Binh Tri Thien folk songs, in which the highlight is the national intangible cultural heritage of rice pounding songs. However, due to many objective and subjective reasons, it has not been possible to implement. After the merger, with many similarities between Le Thuy folk songs and rice pounding songs, the Club really hopes to have a tourism product that brings together these two unique heritages, combining exploration and experience of other local cultural and historical destinations.

Director of Netin Co., Ltd. Tran Xuan Cuong said that it is necessary to survey, evaluate and have a truly long-term strategy for cultural heritage to promote its strengths in tourism development. In addition, it is necessary to join hands of the entire political system, the tourism community and the people, not considering this as the sole task of any unit, organization or enterprise. Notably, it is necessary to emphasize the role of the leader, because if the "helmsman" must be truly dedicated and determined, then the companionship between tourism and cultural heritage can be successful, harmonizing the factors and ensuring sustainability. It is necessary to train, foster and share about cultural heritage for the tourism business team so that they can better understand and have a deeper awareness of their role and responsibility in preserving and promoting the "treasure" of their ancestors; at the same time, have appropriate choices for their tourism products.

Comprehensive and sustainable solutions are needed.

According to Dr. Tran Tu Luc, Head of the Faculty of Economics and Tourism, Quang Binh University, the exploitation and development of cultural heritage (especially VHPVT) is not only to preserve traditional values, but also a "lever" for socio-economic development, especially in tourism, cultural industry and local branding. With special potential for heritage, the province needs to promote the implementation of comprehensive and sustainable solutions, from planning, conservation, innovation to connecting the community, businesses and the international community to turn the "heritage treasure" into a real driving force for development.

Folk culture clubs of Quang Tri province are always ready to serve tourists - Photo: MN

First of all, building a strategy for developing cultural heritage associated with economic-tourism plays an important role. In particular, there needs to be a new overall strategy for developing culture-heritage in Quang Tri province for the period 2025-2035, with two pillars: Preserving and restoring heritage; exploiting heritage associated with sustainable economic-tourism development. At the same time, it is necessary to integrate cultural heritage into urban and new rural development planning; green-sustainable tourism strategy; OCOP programs, cultural industry, local education.

In addition, the province needs to synchronously and effectively deploy groups of solutions, such as: Investigating, inventorying, classifying and digitizing all heritage; preserving, restoring and "reviving" heritage in the community; promoting communication and promoting cultural heritage using technology; training human resources for heritage conservation and exploitation; mobilizing social resources and international cooperation...

Dr. Tran Tu Luc emphasized that connecting the development of cultural and creative industries from heritage is also a solution that needs to be implemented promptly. In particular, supporting creative startups from heritage such as: fashion products, gifts, souvenirs, traditional pattern designs, etc.; at the same time, organizing competitions for composing and designing OCOP products from heritage, traditional tourism-culture-craft fairs. It is necessary to build the brand "Quang Tri Heritage" as a symbol of tourism-culture in the North Central region.

Notably, Dr. Tran Tu Luc also proposed solutions to develop tourism products associated with cultural heritage. For cultural-historical tourism, it is necessary to build a tour "Central Heritage Road" connecting relics, combining listening to historical stories, sightseeing and experiencing; develop a tourism model to experience ancient battlefields - historical relics combined with folk song performances, traditional festivals. For the development of community tourism, experiencing ethnic minority culture, it is necessary to build community cultural tourism villages in the Bru-Van Kieu and Pa Ko ethnic minority areas; create typical tourism products related to the unique cultural features of the ethnic groups. At the same time, it is necessary to promote the development of festival tourism and folk arts, such as: Organizing annual folk festivals, combining heritage performances at sea tourism destinations, eco-tourism, craft villages...

In the context of open space after the merger, artisans are ready, many businesses have also made preparations and plans to promote cultural heritage associated with tourism. What the province needs to do now is to have a "push" to create a breakthrough in exploiting local cultural heritage resources.

Mai Nhan

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/du-lich/202510/de-di-san-van-hoa-tro-thanh-nguon-luc-phat-trien-du-lich-bai-2-duong-lon-rong-mo-khong-lo-van-hoi-8062983/