To unleash the full potential and strength of heritage tourism
Heritage tourism is more than just a normal trip, it is a pratical and humane cultural journey.
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| Some localities now have heritage tourism. Image of President Ho Chi Minh's temple at Pac Bo relic site, Cao Bang province. (Source: Bao Dan toc) |
Full of potentials
In reality, Vietnam has a lot of potentials to develop heritage tourism, since it possesses numerous historical and cultural relics, including a number of national and special national sites. Most localities have their own famous scenic spots. Visiting these sites, visitors not only gain more knowledge about history and traditional culture but also build pride and love for their homeland and country.
There are a number of localities that currently have many attractive heritage tours, such as Hanoi, Phu Tho, Thua Thien - Hue, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong.
For example, the Pac Bo historical site in Cao Bang province is a sacred and attractive destination that always attracts a large number of tourists. Visitors come here not only to visit the monument, but also to immerse themselves in the fresh ecological environment of the total area of 500 hectares.
Or in Con Dao district (Ba Ria-Vung Tau), visitors can explore Con Dao Prison Relic Cluster, Hang Duong Cemetery, Pier 914, Ma Thien Lanh Bridge...
Dien Bien Phu Historical Site (Dien Bien), Cu Chi Tunnels (Ho Chi Minh City), Quang Tri Ancient Citadel, Hien Luong Bridge, Thach Han River Wharf (Quang Tri), Tan Trao special national relic site (Tuyen Quang), etc., are also recognized as “red addresses” that attract a huge number of tourists in the past time.
Travel agencies also offer a lot of heritage tours and they have become a great attraction.
Sharing her thoughts on developing heritage tourism, Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, Director of the Department of Tourism of HCMC stressed that they has about 400 tourist destinations, many of which are associated with the value of tangible and intangible cultural resources. Therefore, the construction and exploitation of historical-cultural relics will be one of the important solutions, contributing to the diversification of tourism products, affirming the attractiveness of the city.
Ms. Le Thi Thu Hoa, Deputy Head of the Department of Tourism of the Management Board of Tourist Areas of Tuyen Quang also affirmed that historical tourism is a strength of Tan Trao commune, accounting for nearly 90% of the total number of visitors to the province, contributing to the development of industries such as accomodation, cuisine, etc.
A heritage tour at Tan Trao is an ideal place for hosting picnics, team-buildings, etc. Also, people can pay their respect to Uncle Ho, experience the roots of Vietnam’s revolution, discover the national culture.
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| Monument to Heroes and Martyrs in Quang Tri Ancient Citadel. (Photo: Ho Cau/VNA) |
Synchronous promotion and development
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung said that, in the face of complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism and service businesses need to redirect their approach to small groups of visitors. That is the basis for tourism and service businesses to take as a fulcrum to restart operations.
Moreover, Vietnam needs to build tourism products based on historical relics, scenic spots, indigenous cultures of different regions and strengthen information dissemination and advertisement to bring tourism products closer to the people, Minister Nguyen Van Hung added.
Tourism experts suggest that, in order to fully exploit the potentials and strengths of heritage tourism, in addition to effectively using the State's investment capital, management boards of historical monuments need to create a favorable environment, encourage socialization to enrich services.
At the same time, there must be a coordination of relevant sectors in planning and building networks of road and water traffic, systems of wharves to create favorable conditions for accessing historical sites and exploiting tourism potentials.
Proposing solutions to develop tourism associated with historical relics, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nam from Hoa Sen University said that, it is necessary to strengthen the linkage and coordination between all levels, sectors, and travel businesses to build a themed tour with rich content, meeting the various needs of tourists.
“The promotion of heritage tourism development needs a synchronized solution to bring into full play the advantages of available travel communication platforms to promote tourism products to visit historical sites, in the direction of keeping up with the trends, attracting the attention of domestic and foreign tourists.
All levels and sectors need to increase awareness of local residents in preserving and protecting relics, helping them to clearly see the benefits brought by tourism and supporting and encouraging them to participate in tourism and service activities", Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nam added.
