New opportunities

Before the merger, the former Bac Kan Province identified tourism as a spearhead economic sector, thanks to its great potential for developing historical and ecological tourism. Likewise, the former Thai Nguyen Province has also positioned tourism as an important economic sector, boasting potential in historical, agricultural, and entertainment tourism. Today, Thai Nguyen benefits from the combined potential and strengths of both regions.

Mentioning Thai Nguyen inevitably brings historical tourism to mind, with its nickname “capital of wind” and historical relic sites such as the Dinh Hoa and Cho Don Safety Zones. Both places bear deep imprints of activities by the Party, the State, and the beloved President Ho Chi Minh during the resistance against the French. A new opportunity has opened with the “corridor” of historical tourism linking Dinh Hoa and Cho Don to Tan Trao (Tuyen Quang).

According to Dr Le Quang Dang from the Viet Nam Institute of Culture, Arts, Sports and Tourism, Thai Nguyen’s tourism development space is now broader. The province boasts four key strengths: eco-tourism and natural resources; cultural, historical, and revolutionary tourism; agricultural and rural tourism; and community-based tourism linked to highland ethnic minorities.

This diversity gives Thai Nguyen the advantage of keeping tourists longer. After a journey of just about one hour from Ha Noi to Thai Nguyen’s city centre, visitors can start with historical tourism, visit Nui Coc Lake, experience tea-region tourism, travel upstream along the Cau River to admire Ba Be Lake’s landscapes, and enjoy various recreational areas.

In addition, Thai Nguyen is home to some of the most abundant and diverse natural and cultural resources in northern Viet Nam, with thousands of historical, cultural, and scenic sites. These include 3 special national relics, 67 nationally ranked relics, 316 provincially ranked relics, 43 nationally recognised intangible cultural heritages, and numerous sites listed as “red addresses”.

According to Dr Nguyen Thi Tuyet Nhung from the Viet Bac College of Culture and Arts, Thai Nguyen’s rich intangible cultural heritage offers an expansive tourism space. This creates favourable conditions for the development of in-depth tourism routes and destinations, such as eco-cultural tourism in Ba Be and the Safety Zones; community tourism; and spaces for performing folk arts such as dan tinh singing, dry-land puppetry, and luon singing.

Thai Nguyen also boasts one of the region’s strongest lake tourism resources, with Ba Be, Nui Coc, and Ghenh Che lakes. Moreover, the Thai Hai Ethnic Stilt House Eco-village was recognised by the World Tourism Organisation as one out of 32 “Best Tourism Villages in the World” in 2022 and is one of the country’s first two five-star OCOP tourism products. Additionally, the province offers community and rural tourism spots linked to the natural beauty of the eastern slopes of Tam Dao, Ba Be National Park, and picturesque tea-growing regions.

According to Ha Minh Cuong, Director of Ha Noi Tourism and Media Development Joint Stock Company, Thai Nguyen holds ideal conditions for eco-tourism, resort holidays, and adventure tourism. With a developed transport network, proximity to Ha Noi, and easy connections to neighbouring provinces, it represents a highly promising tourism market.

Combining strengths

According to Duong Xuan Hung, Director of Thai Nguyen Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the merger is not merely an addition but a synergy of the two former provinces’ tourism resources. Leveraging this potential is a key task for Thai Nguyen. In the very first week of operation, despite a heavy workload, the province organised a seminar to assess potential and suggest solutions for tourism development.

Recently, Japan’s Route Inn Group decided to invest nearly 400 billion VND to build the 14-storey Route Inn Grand Thai Nguyen Hotel, with 350 rooms, offering Japanese-standard facilities combined with Vietnamese and Japanese cultural elements.

Thai Nguyen is also striving to diversify its tourism products to establish its unique brand. In 2025, it will officially launch tourism products linked to tea culture and the Ha Noi–Thai Nguyen railway line.

An effective approach currently being implemented is integrating tourism with agriculture, specifically tea cultivation. Across Thai Nguyen’s midland communes, there are now 34 agricultural and service cooperatives combining tea production with tourism. These cooperatives have created a unique tourism model with a total investment of over 350 billion VND, providing jobs for more than 1,000 members and nearly 700 workers. Each year, Thai Nguyen’s tea region attracts thousands of tourists for sightseeing, hands-on experiences, and overnight stays.

The biggest challenges for Thai Nguyen at present are its limited tourism products, a tourist base largely domestic with few international visitors, underdeveloped tourism and transport infrastructure, and a shortage of skilled tourism personnel. Therefore, according to Dr Le Quang Dang, the current requirement is to reorganise the province’s tourism development space; redefine its tourism product system; reposition its tourism market; and reshape its tourism strategies.

A fundamental issue is upgrading transport infrastructure. Currently, the Ha Noi–Thai Nguyen Expressway has deteriorated, and connections to scenic sites remain difficult. The province is focusing on completing the remaining section of the road to Ba Be Lake, connecting to Na Hang (Tuyen Quang), and working with Project Management Board No. 2 under the Ministry of Construction to accelerate the Cho Moi–Bac Kan Expressway project. Thai Nguyen has also proposed that the central government invest in upgrading the Ha Noi–Thai Nguyen Expressway from four to six lanes, build the Thai Nguyen–Cao Bang Expressway, and expand the Thai Nguyen–Cho Moi road.

According to Ha Van Sieu, Deputy Director of Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism, Thai Nguyen’s position on the tourism map does not yet match its potential. Therefore, the province must refine its tourism development policies; re-plan and reposition tourism with a new vision and stature; prioritise infrastructure investment; synchronise digital transformation; and intensify international promotion.

Currently, Thai Nguyen has identified four main tea-culture-based tourism product lines to focus on: cultural, spiritual, historical, and “back-to-the-roots” tourism. It also features eco-tourism and resorts; community and rural tourism; and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions), sports, and adventure cave exploration tourism. The goal is to soon achieve double-digit tourism growth.