Elevating Dien Bien Tourism to New Level

 

In recent years, Dien Bien has seen strong socio-economic development and a lot of projects in transport, construction, healthcare, security and national defence. Particularly, cultural projects which have been implemented have helped to attract tourists and thereby contributed to socio-economic development of the province. Identifying historical and cultural tourism to be its strength, Dien Bien has mobilised resources to promote historical heritages and traditional cultural values of ethnic minority groups residing within the province with a view to developing unique tourism products and drawing a larger number of tourists, as well as extending their accommodation in the area.

 

Mr Pham Van Hung, Director of Dien Bien Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, shared, “In line with socio-economic development, the Party Committee, authority and people of Dien Bien are making efforts to preserve and improve local traditional cultural values and promote tourism development. The major products being aimed at by Dien Bien include historical tourism, religious tourism, eco-tourism and community-based tourism.” Dien Bien has been studying the National Tourism Development Strategy in order to develop an appropriate tourism strategy for the province until 2030. Activities being implemented include a strong focus on historical tourism and eco-tourism, and the development of various tourism products with local cultural features. At the same time, tourism promotion and advertisement is being accelerated and market trends being correctly identified so that highly competitive tourism products can be developed. Furthermore, the province is creating policies and mechanisms favourable for the development of tourism enterprises and inter-provincial tourism development. On the basis that tourism is defined as a spearhead economic sector and a labour-intensive industry, Dien Bien has been accelerating investment in technical infrastructure and facilities for tourism. It also encourages economic sectors to boost investment for the development of various tourism types, high-quality tourist attractions, and the construction of eco-tourism and entertainment areas. According to the National Tourism Development Strategy to 2020, vision to 2030, Dien Bien is one of three major destinations (Dien Bien, Lao Cai and Lang Son) for tourism development in the midland and Northern mountainous area. Dien Bien Phu – Pa Khoang – Muong Phang has been selected to become a national tourist site which has historical, cultural and ecological resources. The destination promises to attract a large number of domestic and international tourists in coming years.

 

Dien Bien currently faces many difficulties, including low socio-economic starting point and limited opportunities for attracting investment. However, its tourism potential is huge and needs to be further promoted to serve socio-economic development. Compared to the same period of 2011, in the first nine months of 2012, the number of tourists to Dien Bien is up by 13.6 percent, and social income generated from tourism activities, 42.4 percent. State administration in tourism business has been well instructed and implemented. These achievements deserve to be praised, but the fact remains that Dien Bien tourism potential has yet to be fully promoted. Dien Bien’s tourism sector can reach a higher development level with availability of a good environment resulting from good direction, management, operation, enthusiastic participation of enterprises and high consensus of its people, given the existing resources.