Tourism in the fence area

In early 2024, many tourist groups stopped at Ban Gioc waterfall (Trung Khanh district, Cao Bang province) - one of the famous destinations in the border area.

Not just travel and vacation

Thuy Linh from Ho Chi Minh City and a group of nearly 30 guests went on a business trip and a tour in Cao Bang and Bac Kan . After stressful working hours, the group combined their travel to learn about the lives of the local people; visited the Pac Bo National Special Relic Site with Lenin Stream and Karl Marx Mountain; rowed a boat on Ba Be Lake...

Passing Cao Bang, the group's car went through the border road and then to the Ban Gioc Waterfall Control Station. The whole group was moved as they stepped onto the border line between Vietnam and China, taking pictures at the landmark with indescribable emotions. The girls who lived in the city all year round now had more time to chat with the border guards who were on duty to protect the Fatherland and listen to the people in the border area talk about their lives while making a living and staying in the village.

Tourists visit a destination in Cao Bang province. Photo: VAN KIEN

Ms. Ngoc Thanh (living in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City) has just returned from a trip to the Northeast and Northwest regions. Her itinerary includes both first-time destinations and many return destinations. She noticed that tourism in this area has developed rapidly, systematically and attracted more visitors. At Ban Gioc waterfall, the access road has been invested in cleanly and still retains its wild beauty. Ba Be Lake has more visitors than before with the return of international visitors after the COVID-19 pandemic. At the stops at O ​​Quy Ho pass (Lao Cai) and Pha Din pass (Son La), people are bustling with business and introducing local specialties in a very friendly and hospitable manner.

The terrain of the Northeastern and Northwestern provinces is closely linked to the border areas of the Fatherland, where the diverse cultures of ethnic minorities converge along with majestic natural landscapes. Immersing in nature and experiencing the village culture, visitors can also enjoy the sounds of the panpipes, flutes, and dances of the highland boys and girls. In particular, they spend a lot of time enjoying the specialties rarely found in the lowlands.

Having been attached to the Northeast and Northwest regions for many years, Mr. Tran The Dung, Deputy Director of The He Tre Travel Company, believes that tourism connects visitors to the border areas, the landmarks that every Vietnamese person who has the opportunity to visit feels full of emotions. Visitors leisurely sit on a boat and pass through the land where the Da River, Gam River, Nam Tao (Red River) majestically cross the mountains or immerse themselves in the cultural identity of the Ha Nhi, La Hu, Si La ethnic groups... with unique customs in the border region.

"New tours have been opened or new destinations have been added, such as the journey to explore the Northwestern border region through the places of Thu Lum, Keng Mo - Lai Chau, where the Da River flows into Vietnam. The tour follows the border to conquer Khoan La San mountain, to A Pa Chai - the landmark of the 3 countries' border intersection, creating a special impression on tourists. Hopefully, the new tours will have many units contributing to encourage local people to do tourism together" - Mr. Dung said.

When banks act as "capital bridges"

In the Vietnam Tourism Development Strategy to 2030, community tourism and agricultural and rural tourism are considered as one of the main types of tourism. Developing this type of tourism not only contributes to protecting and promoting inherent cultural values ​​but also creates sustainable livelihoods for people.

Spring comes to Y Ty commune, Bat Xat district, Lao Cai province. Photo: VU PHI LONG

Speaking at the recent conference on rapid and sustainable development of Vietnam tourism chaired by the Prime Minister, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan shared that he had been to Son La - where Trang A Chu (a Mong ethnic) and his wife do community tourism. Although it is a very remote village, the 60 homestay rooms are always full of guests, showing the great potential for community tourism. Therefore, it is necessary to "draw" more on the tourism map and expand new tourism spaces.

To develop tourism in the border areas further, it is necessary to invest in infrastructure, have a plan, and have a sustainable development strategy. For tourists to come and return, not only a few local households doing tourism but also need credit capital to invest systematically in accommodation facilities, upgrade tourist attractions, and invest in OCOP tourism products (One Commune One Product program).

Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Agribank) said that in recent years, Agribank has always accompanied and created leverage in credit capital for investment in tourism development. Thanks to the support from credit capital, people in tourism have had more conditions to invest systematically, and the number of visitors has always increased.

Agribank also closely coordinates with local authorities to promote the dissemination of loan policies and guidelines to people, especially 7 preferential loan programs for the agricultural and rural sectors such as loans under credit policies serving agricultural and rural development; loans for households and individuals through loan groups/association groups; preferential credit serving clean agriculture...

"From the bank's credit capital, in the Northeast, Northwest, Mekong Delta regions in particular and the whole country, effective and sustainable agricultural production and tourism models have been formed. Many eco-tourism and community tourism areas have attracted a large number of domestic and international tourists to experience" - Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong, Deputy General Director of Agribank, shared.

Developing rural tourism creates opportunities for communities to preserve heritage, conserve and promote traditional cultural values. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that rural tourism is a world trend. This is an advantage for Vietnam, an opportunity to exploit to become a strong economic sector with support from OCOP products. The country currently has more than 10,000 OCOP products. Many businesses focus on linking with localities in developing OCOP tourism products with the support of bank capital.

In Son La, in just a short time of proper investment, tourism has been continuously honored in international destination rankings. Mr. Tran Xuan Viet, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Son La province, said that in 2023, the locality exceeded the target of attracting visitors thanks to prioritizing investment resources, including developing community tourism.

Regarding the Northeast region, leaders of Agribank Cao Bang and Bac Kan branches said that they also prioritize credit capital to contribute to promoting tourism in border areas. When capital is provided, agricultural production models combined with community tourism will be more effective and professional, contributing to attracting visitors to spend more, stay longer... According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong, the bank always identifies agriculture and rural areas as priority areas for credit capital investment. The proportion of Agribank's agricultural and rural investment accounts for nearly 70% of the total outstanding debt of the economy, playing a key role in the capital and credit market for agriculture, rural areas and farmers.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/du-lich-vung-phen-giau-196240205235932266.htm