Creating “playground” for tour operators

In 2019, the Center for Tourism Information and Promotion of Bac Giang province surveyed the Tay Yen Tu spiritual and ecological tourist route including Vinh Nghiem pagoda and Truc Lam Phuong Hoang Zen Monastery in Yen Dung district, Cam Son lake and Am Vai pagoda in Luc Ngan district and Ven village community-based tourist site in Xuan Luong commune, Yen The district.

Tourists experience picking up tea leaves in Ven village, Xuan Luong commune, Yen The district.

According to Luu Xuan San, Director of the Center for Tourism Information and Promotion, in 2020, the center surveyed and introduced the tour “Discovering the sacred land of Tay Yen Tu” with more than 100 participants from tourism companies in northern and central provinces and the historical tour linking the relic sites of Yen The Uprising, Ven village community-based tourist site and the Memorial Site of Uncle Ho’s 6 teachings to the Public Security Force in Tan Yen district with participation of nearly 20 tour operators.

“After the site visits, many tour operators planned to set up tours and route to bring tourists to Bac Giang”, said San.

There is a good news that the people’s committee of Ho Chi Minh City and the people’s committee of 8 northeastern provinces including Bac Kan, Bac Giang, Cao Bang, Lang Son, Thai Nguyen, Tuyen Quang, Vinh Phuc and Quang Ninh inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in this November on linking tourism development with many contents.

Accordingly, the parties will facilitate tour operators in establishing and selling tourism products to domestic and international tourists. This will provide a playground for the companies to join hands in making tours and routes among the provinces, linking the systems of accommodation, restaurant, shopping and transportation services and exploiting tourism products.

In October 2019, the Standing Party Committee of Bac Giang and Hai Duong provinces signed a MOU on cooperation and development for the period of 2020-2025 including tourism sector. According to this MOU, the 2 provinces continue cooperating to develop common tourism products and routes based on the signature tourism products of their strengths with a focus on connecting the Tay Yen Tu tourism complex and Vinh Nghiem pagoda in Bac Giang with Con Son- Kiep Bac relic site and Thanh Mai pagoda in Hai Duong.

The 2 provinces will collaborate in studying and developing market and tourism promotion under themes, topics and images in the form “two localities – one destination”. Besides, they will promote the roles of the tourism associations and professionals society to link tourism businesses.

Attracting visitors

Developing tours and routes is one of the measures for tourism development as clarified in the directives of the province. To that end, the government, competent agencies and enterprises in the province have paid high attention to implementation of this measure and gained initial good results.

Bac Giang province has established the tourism connectivity map for the tours to discover the heritages in Bac Ninh, Bac Giang and Hai Duong. Now, tourists have many choices to come to Bac Giang.

Particularly, tourists can choose a 2-day tour to the land of Quan ho (duet love singing) from Hanoi to Bac Ninh city, Truc Lam Phuong Hoang Zen Monastery, Bac Giang city, Bo Da pagoda and Tho Ha ancient village. Or you can take the tour from Hanoi to Con Son - Kiep Bac, Mo Stream, Tay Yen Tu tourism complex and Bac Giang city. For a 3-day tour, tourists can depart from Hanoi to Nguyen Ban alluvial ground, Tam Phu – Con Son temple, Kiep Bac temple, Tay Yen Tu tourism complex, Mo Stream, Vinh Nghiem pagoda, Truc Lam Phuong Hoang Zen Monastery, Kem pagoda and Bac Giang city.

To date, nearly 20 tourism routes inside the province and 5 routes linking Bac Giang with Hai Duong and Bac Ninh provinces have been developed. According to a number of tourists and tour operators, Bac Giang has many new tourist attractions with convenient traffic system connected to neighboring provinces and cities that facilitates tourism development.

According to Tran Thi Thao, representative of Green Dream Education and Experience Company Limited, in the peak months 2019, the company collaborated with tour operators to take tens of tourist groups (mainly from Hanoi) to experience orchards, visit trade villages and Cam Son lake in Luc Ngan district. This year, despite impact of Covid-19, the company has received more than 10 travel contracts.

“We are very happy when many people come back Bac Giang twice or 3 times and introduce other tourist groups to Bac Giang”, said Thao.

Thanks to tourism promotion activities, many tours and routes have been developed luring an increasing number of tourists to Bac Giang. In 2019, Bac Giang drew about 2 million visitors including a large number of visitors from outside province. In 2020, due to impact of Covid-19, the number of tourists to Bac Giang sharply decreased but it tends to increase in the last months especially when Luc Ngan district organized the trade fair of orange, pomelo and signature products.

Within only 3 days of the trade fair (from 20 to 22 November 2020), more than 300 domestic and international tourist groups with over 250,000 visitors flocked to the district to visit, travel, experience and buy products. The firms, cooperatives and local people sold more than 900 tonnes of orange, pomelo and other products. Also at this event, the Department of Culture, Tourism and Sports of Bac Giang province held a talk show to introduce tourism potentials of Luc Ngan district attracting participation of nearly 80 tour operators in Bac Giang and other localities.

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Cong Doanh