Tourism has been recognized as a major economic sector that contributes to the development of the cultural industry, the creation of jobs and investment, the acceleration of economic growth and structural transformation, the preservation and promotion of national historical and cultural values, and the enhancement of people's material and spiritual well-being.

Two ancient boats recently excavated in Thuan Thanh Town (Bac Ninh Province) hold unique archaeological value for Vietnam and even globally, according to Associate Professor Dr. Tong Trung Tin, Chairman of the Vietnam Archaeological Association. The site is expected to become a spiritual tourism attraction in Bac Ninh in the near future.

For Bac Ninh Province, in order to realize its goal of becoming a national center of culture and tourism and an attractive destination for visitors, the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism must closely coordinate with relevant sectors to advise the provincial authorities on prioritizing tourism through dedicated policies. This will help tourism soon become a key economic sector, positively contributing to socio-economic development, acting as a catalyst for the cultural industry, and serving as a driving force to elevate the province’s cultural identity in the country’s new development phase.

Bac Ninh tourism reaches new heights in the new era

Mr. Nguyen Trung Khue, Deputy Director of the Bac Ninh Department of Culture, Sports, and tourist, claims that the province's tourist industry has advanced significantly, expanding both in size and quality at a rapid pace and reaffirming its significant economic importance. These accomplishments stem from the Bac Ninh Provincial Party Committee and People's Committee's well-aligned leadership and sound strategic orientation, which have brought about advantageous policies and procedures to aid in the sector's growth. The number of visitors is expected to increase by 40–50% in 2024 and 2025. Bac Ninh received an estimated 75,000 tourists during the April 30–May 1, 2025 holiday, a 15% increase over the same period in 2024. Tourism-related income reached about VND 52 billion during this time.

Bac Ninh is also a gateway connecting the capital with the Northeast and the Mid-Northern mountainous regions of Vietnam. The province benefits from convenient transportation infrastructure, including Noi Bai Airport, Gia Binh Airport, National Highways 1A, 1B, 18, and 38, as well as key railway lines such as Hanoi - Lang Son and Hanoi - Quang Ninh. With dry ports, river ports at Cau and Duong rivers, Bac Ninh holds significant potential for tourism development.

The center of Kinh Bac culture – the cradle of Quan Ho folk singing (an intangible cultural heritage of humanity). A rich system of historical sites: Den Do, Dau Pagoda, Phat Tich Pagoda, the tomb of King Duong Vuong,... Traditional festivals throughout the year: Lim Festival, Dau Pagoda Festival,... Traditional craft villages. Bac Ninh is one of the provinces with the highest GRDP per capita in the country. It concentrates many large industrial zones, attracting a large number of domestic and international experts, engineers, and workers. The income of the people is higher than the national average, which further increases the demand for services, especially high-end accommodation and entertainment services to meet and diversify products for tourists.

Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Bac Ninh Province Nguyen Trung Khue discussed with the Business Forum Magazine.

According to Mr. Nguyen Trung Khue, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Bac Ninh Province, the province has been clearly oriented in its planning: pursuant to Decision No. 1589/QD-TTg dated December 8, 2023, issued by the Prime Minister approving the Regional Planning of Bac Ninh Province for the period 2021–2030, with a vision to 2050. The plan includes the development of integrated complexes for ecology, resort tourism, culture, sports, and golf:

(1) A large-scale modern tourism, entertainment, and sports complex in Nam Son Ward, Bac Ninh City (at a national level); (2) A cultural tourism area of Quan Ho folk singing in Hoa Long Ward, Bac Ninh City, with resort and ecological tourism, where visitors can experience and explore cultural values, especially Quan Ho folk singing of Bac Ninh, along with a river tour of the Cau River, and the preservation of traditional national cultural values;

The Quan Ho singing program on the boat with the theme 'Songs Along the Years' and cultural, tourism activities take place at the Nguyen Phi Y Lan Lake.

(3). The cultural-tourism and entertainment complex at Dam Temple - Do Temple - Tieu Tuong (Tu Son): at a regional level (Hanoi and the Red River Delta provinces); (4). The cultural-ecotourism area at Phat Tich (Tien Du), connected with the surrounding forest ecological area (Lan Kha Mountain - Tien Du), considering the connection with the Kinh Duong Vuong Tomb area - But Thap Pagoda - Dau Pagoda;

(5). The cultural-tourism festival area at Ba Chua Kho Temple (Bac Ninh City): at the national-level festival scale; (6). The Bai Nguyet Ban - Cao Lo Vuong tourist area (Gia Binh district): Green tourism, resort-style recreation (villas, resorts) with high-end commercial constructions, large-scale entertainment areas, connected with the spiritual tourism route visiting Cao Lo Vuong Temple, Pha Lai Pagoda, Dien Phuc Pagoda…;

(7). The historical tourism area at Nhu Nguyet Frontline: With the type of experiential tourism focused on the battlefield during the national resistance against the Tong army;

(8). The Temple and Tomb of Kinh Duong Vuong (Thuan Thanh): The highlight of the entire space of Thuan Thanh Town, a pilgrimage site to honor the ancestors of Vietnam;

(9). The Duong River tourism complex (by water and land); In addition, there is a golf course linked with a series of tourism sites related to temples, history, and ecological culture,... 

Mr. Khue emphasized that with its potential and rich cultural heritage, Bac Ninh has the opportunity to attract investors in areas such as:

High-end hotels combined with resorts: Due to the demand from foreign experts, especially from South Korea, Japan, and China (with large expatriate communities in Yen Phong, Tien Du,...). Developing a chain of 4-5 star hotels, resorts, combined with relaxation and local cultural experiences.

Developing cultural and ecological urban areas, a complex tourism area for entertainment - shopping centers, and experiences of the long-standing culture of the nation; Ecotourism models, craft village experiences, and resorts linked to Quan Ho culture and folk festivals. Day trips from Hanoi to Bac Ninh have not been systematically exploited, so there is an opportunity for investors to build short tours (1-2 days), homestay and farmstay accommodations combined with experiences of Quan Ho folk singing, Phu Lang pottery making, Dong Ho painting…

On the other hand, in recent years, Bac Ninh has been one of the localities focused on developing tourism linked to cultural and spiritual values, especially in exploiting intangible cultural heritage such as Quan Ho folk singing, traditional festivals, craft villages, and famous spiritual sites. Agricultural, ecological tourism – resorts. The combination of traditional and modern elements, spiritual and experiential tourism is creating a new attraction for Bac Ninh’s tourism, drawing both domestic and international visitors.

Digital transformation to develop a smart tourism ecosystem

Mr. Khue further shared that Bac Ninh has implemented various solutions to promote digital transformation and move towards a smart tourism ecosystem that ensures synchronization and modernity. The smart tourism portal has been integrated into social media platforms and supports multiple languages, helping tourists easily access information and experience services.

The province is currently focusing on preserving and promoting cultural identity, combining it with digital technology to create unique and attractive tourism products. According to Plan No. 226/KH-UBND dated April 15, 2025, of the People's Committee of Bac Ninh Province (implementing Directive No. 34/CD-TTg dated April 10, 2025, of the Prime Minister) on promoting tourism development to ensure double-digit economic growth in Bac Ninh province, it clearly identifies the viewpoint: “Digital transformation and green transformation must become pillars in tourism management, operations, and experiences.”

Applying new, modern technologies in tourism promotion and marketing. Building and organizing a 360° communication campaign under the unified theme: “To the Quan Ho Region”; Cooperating with KOLs, Travel Bloggers, and TikTokers to invite celebrities to experience Bac Ninh... Organizing short film production competitions and videos “Bac Ninh - Touch the soul of heritage” on TikTok…;

Digitizing all cultural heritage data (tangible and intangible) and uploading it to the smart tourism portal, establishing a digital learning system (e-learning) for schools and tourists. Building a digital museum of the Quan Ho region for visitors to explore through virtual reality technology...; Applying AI technology to analyze tourist behavior; Implementing AI cameras for safety monitoring; Integrating smart maps, AR/VR to introduce monuments and locate tourists. Digitizing 14 tourist sites combined with building virtual tours, with virtual guides in multiple languages (using AI), ticketing, and online payment tools. Applying QR code technology at tourist sites (Scan the code to access heritage information, listen to Quan Ho folk songs, read folk stories, history, check-in certification...), proposing virtual reality tourism models “Bac Ninh – Essence and Identity”.

The province of Bac Ninh's Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism will keep stepping up its planning efforts and carrying out its development plans for tourism destinations. Building tourist infrastructure that connects OCOP products to community tourism and fostering community tourism related to a new rural area model will be the main goals. In order to raise the caliber of tourism services, the Bac Ninh province's Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism will concentrate on educating and cultivating its workforce. There are over 3,700 direct employees and 10,000 indirect employees in the province's tourism industry.

Opening a new era for tourism in Bac Ninh, harnessing its potential and strengths, creating momentum, and strongly spreading the cultural values of a thousand years to make Bac Ninh tourism truly take off and awaken the future.