Bac Ninh's tourism innovates to thrive in the new era

Bac Ninh's tourism thrives in the new era. (Source: Baovanhoa)

Many strengths to reach new heights

In recent years, Bac Ninh's tourism has seen positive changes, with high development indicators. The growth rate of visitors and revenue in 2023 and 2024 both exceeded 40%; forecasts for 2025 suggest even higher figures, with many of the province's cultural sites trending in online searches.

In 2024, the province welcomed approximately 2.3 million visitors, generating revenue of 1,900 billion VND. In the first half of 2025, Bac Ninh received over 2 million visitors, with total revenue surpassing 2,000 billion VND. During the April 30th and May 1st holidays alone, visitor numbers reached 75,000, a 15% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

These telling figures clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of policies, orientations, and decisive actions aimed at developing tourism into a key economic sector, as outlined in Bac Ninh's provincial plan for 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050.

Located at the northeastern gateway of Hanoi, within the Northern Key Economic Region, Bac Ninh boasts a long-standing historical and cultural tradition, home to a vast and unique cultural heritage. This includes over 1,500 historical relics and notable cultural works, with the Quan ho Bac Ninh folk songs recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Additionally, many intangible cultural heritages, festivals, and traditional craft villages offer Bac Ninh the potential to implement a tourism development strategy aimed at becoming a leading economic sector.

Secretary of Bac Ninh Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Anh Tuan (second from left) introduces Dong Ho painting craft to delegates and numerous locals, tourists at Hoan Kiem Walking Street (Hanoi). (Source: Baovanhoa)

With the Quan ho folk songs recognized by UNESCO in 2009, Bac Ninh has built the "Return to Quan ho Land" tourism brand to attract both domestic and international visitors. This strategy includes organizing Quan ho folk song performances, displaying Dong Ho folk paintings, and other cultural activities to promote the image of Bac Ninh - Kinh Bac.

Over the past 16 years, Bac Ninh has implemented numerous policies to preserve and promote the value of cultural heritage representing humanity. Notably, the MV "Bac Bling" has achieved resounding success, not only with approximately 200 million views but also by showcasing the most beautiful images of Bac Ninh's people and heritage. Many of Bac Ninh's cultural sites have gained attention, creating a strong attraction for the province.

Tourism is identified as a key economic sector, playing a crucial role in boosting the cultural industry, creating jobs, attracting investment, accelerating growth, and restructuring the economy, while preserving and promoting the nation's traditional, historical, and cultural values, and improving the material and spiritual lives of the people. In April 2025, Bac Ninh issued an Action Plan to implement Directive No. 34/CD-TTg from the Prime Minister on promoting tourism development, ensuring double-digit economic growth in Bac Ninh.

According to Nguyen Trung Khue, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Bac Ninh, the province is oriented according to Decision 1589/QD-TTg, dated December 8, 2023, by the Prime Minister approving the Bac Ninh Provincial Plan for 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, which includes developing ecological, resort, and cultural complexes. Bac Ninh's tourism industry has strived to grow rapidly in both scale and quality, affirming its important role and position in the economy.

These achievements result from the right direction and appropriate steps in leadership, with the province issuing mechanisms and policies that facilitate tourism development.

Nguyen Trung Khue stated that the goal by 2030 is for Bac Ninh tourism to welcome and serve 4.5 - 5 million visitors, with total revenue reaching 4,500 billion VND. Additionally, the plan includes developing 3 - 5 new tourism products and continuing to diversify cultural tourism products.

Visitors to Bac Ninh increasingly participate in the free "Essence of Bac Ninh Culture - Heritage Colors" tour. (Source: Baovanhoa)

Positioning tourism with unique heritage experience tours

To establish a distinctive tourism brand, Bac Ninh is comprehensively and systematically promoting tourism, attracting both domestic and international visitors. The province focuses on developing and promoting tours that incorporate Quan ho cultural heritage. It is building sustainable green tourism products, community cultural tourism, festivals, craft village experiences, and rural agricultural eco-tourism. These products reflect the richness and diversity of traditional culture while offering unique experiences to visitors.

Moreover, the province invites residents and tourists from near and far to experience the free "Essence of Bac Ninh Culture - Heritage Colours" tours. Impressing from the start, 2025 marks the second year of these free tours, which have achieved remarkable growth. The tours have received widespread support and high praise from the public and tourists, creating widespread appeal.

Since launching the free "Essence of Bac Ninh Culture - Heritage Colours" program, Bac Ninh has welcomed thousands of visitors from within and outside the province, helping to revive cultural values that seemed forgotten.

From late May 2025, the Bac Ninh Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism decided to adjust and expand with 8 new destinations across 4 tour routes to enrich the experience. These destinations are spread across Tu Son, Thuan Thanh, Tien Du, Gia Binh, and Luong Tai districts, all renowned for ancient pagodas, traditional craft villages, and intangible cultural heritage.

Nguyen Manh Tien, Deputy Director of Bac Ninh Museum and Tourism Promotion, stated that the free tour program has helped "awaken" many cultural values seemed to be forgotten. From hearing Quan ho songs under the Diem village communal house roof, painting Dong Ho folk art, casting bronze at Dai Bai, to molding pottery in the ancient Phu Lang village...

Bac Ninh repositions cultural tourism with unique heritage experience tours. (Source: Baodautu)

Continuously Professionalizing, Increasing Competitiveness

Alongside preserving traditional values, Bac Ninh is striving to connect relics, craft villages, ecological spaces, and community tourism products. Beyond shaping and building tours, the province emphasizes organizing operations, from training guides, digitizing destinations, to creating an ecosystem linking accommodation, cuisine, and transportation services. This foundation allows Bac Ninh tourism to continuously professionalize, catering to the increasing demands of both domestic and international tourists.

Particularly, the development of cultural tourism services and products, digital tourism utilities, and the completion of the tourism tour and destination system are underway. The aim is to gradually build a brand, invest in developing 1 - 2 community tourism models from Quan ho villages, and complete the province's cultural tourism database...

Nguyen Trung Khue noted that to achieve this goal, Bac Ninh has policies to develop key tourism areas and unique tourism products, such as the Dam Mountain tourism area in Bac Ninh City, combining cultural, spiritual tourism with modern entertainment. Additionally, preserving and promoting cultural heritage values linked to tourism development, such as Quan ho folk songs, Dong Ho folk paintings, historical and cultural relics... Furthermore, enhancing public-private partnerships and attracting investment in tourism to mobilize social resources for developing tourism infrastructure, services, and new tourism products.

"This cooperation helps improve service quality, diversify products, and increase competitiveness for Bac Ninh tourism," Nguyen Trung Khue emphasized.

Japanese tourists enjoy the traditional Phu Lang pottery village in Que Vo town, Bac Ninh. (Source: DĐDN)

Bac Ninh has taken the right steps by proactively organizing free tours and leveraging the influence of cultural industry products to promote its heritage and key destinations. However, the province needs to continue researching and developing long-term strategies, effective communication, inter-provincial connections in tourism promotion, and enhancing customer service quality.

Experts suggest that to truly become a key economic sector, Bac Ninh tourism must transform culture into a core value, upgrade experiences, modernize transmission methods, and connect heritage with digital technology and creative industries. Bac Ninh has the resources and identity; what remains is innovative, creative tourism thinking and the dedication of those passionate about Kinh Bac culture.

Importantly, the province should encourage and develop creative media products about Bac Ninh culture, enhancing interaction and providing rich, profound experiences for visitors. These are crucial factors in attracting repeat visitors. Moreover, for rapid and sustainable tourism development, Bac Ninh needs to continue innovating and being creative in tourism practices, as this is both a trend and an essential requirement in the current phase.