(HBO) – A delegation of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) paid a working visit to Hoa Binh province on October 5 and 6 to look into a project on building and upgrading tourism infrastructure of Hoa Binh Lake. Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Bui Van Khanh received the delegation.
Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Bui Van Khanh
presents a painting of Hoa Binh’s cultural symbol to the ADB delegation.
Local officials briefed the ADB delegation on
the local strengths and the tourism potential of Hoa Binh Lake, noting that the
province is part of the Hanoi Capital Region and boasts rich natural resources,
scenic landscapes and unique cultural identities of ethnic groups.
In 2016, the Prime Minister approved a general
development plan for the Hoa Binh Lake national tourism area until 2030. This
site is being developed into the largest tourism centre of the province and one
of the 12 key national tourism areas in the northern midland and mountainous
region, with activities exploring local culture and the lake’s ecosystem as its
typical tourism product.
The province proposed the ADB invest in a
project on building and upgrading the lake’s tourism infrastructure, including
expanding 33km of a road on the right bank of the lake and upgrading Bich Ha
Wharf so that it can handle 300,000 tonnes of goods and over 80,000 passengers
each year. This project will need a total investment of over 90 million USD and
be carried out in five years since a loan agreement for it takes effect.
Addressing the working session, Chairman of the
provincial People’s Committee Bui Van Khanh emphasised that it is a key project
of Hoa Binh and expected to generate socio-economic benefits for local
residents.
He expressed his hope for the ADB’s cooperation
and that the bank will reply to Hoa Binh’s proposal soon so that the province
can carry out the next steps.
On October 6, the ADB delegation made a
fact-finding tour of the Hoa Binh Lake tourism area before working with
relevant ministries and sectors to make the final decision./.
Hoa Binh has taken measures, focusing on removing barriers in terms of mechanism, policy, infrastructure, and upgrading technical infrastructure facilities serving tourism and the quality of human resources, to promote tourism development in the Hoa Binh Lake area.
Over the past time, Da Bac has deployed measures to lure more domestic and foreign visitors to the locality, aiming to turn tourism into the district’s economic spearhead.
Covering an area of over 52,000 hectares spanning districts of Mai Chau, Tan Lac, Cao Phong, Da Bac, and Hoa Binh City, Hoa Binh lake has strong potential for tourism development. In recent years, thanks to the attention of local Party Committees and authorities as well as support from international organisations, the advantages of tourism in the lake area have been utilised.
Mai Chau is a mountainous district and home to many ethnic groups such as Thai, Muong, Kinh, Mong, Dao, and Tay with distinctive cultural identities, creating a diverse and unique cultural treasure. Aware of its advantages, the district has paid attention to the preservation and promotion of ethnic groups’ cultural values so that culture will become a leverage for tourism and contribute to socio-economic development and life quality improvement.