Tourism activities of Hoa Binh have seen recovery and development after being hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of the end of the first quarter of 2021, the province welcomed about 470,000 visitors, up 13.7 percent of the yearly target, including 35,000 foreigners. Total earnings from tourism were estimated at 380 billion VND (16.44 million USD).
In mid-April, Hoa Binh will organise a tourism stimulus programme which is the opening of a series of tourism promotion activities planned for 2021. Within the programme’s framework, local travel firms will offer promotion tours targeting holidaymakers in weekends and weekdays. The programme is a chance for travel firms to introduce their products, destinations and promotion packages.
As scheduled, in May, Hoa Binh will join a tourism stimulation festival in Hanoi, while implementing plans to join tourism cooperation activities with eight expanded northwestern provinces and Ho Chi Minh City in 2021.
At the same time, the province will introduce its cultural identities and typical products at the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival Day 2021. Meanwhile, it will engage in a tourism survey programme and a tourism promotion conference of eight expanded northwestern provinces in Ho Chi Minh City.
Along with tourism promotion measures, the province will pay greater attention to tourism connectivity. The provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism is working with the provincial Tourism Association and relevant departments and agencies as well as representatives of eight regional provinces and Ho Chi Minh City to build a new tour called "Ban hung ca Tay Nguyen” (Tay Nguyen epic) which connects Ho Chi Minh City, Phu Tho, Hoa Binh, Moc Chau (Son La), Son La city, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Sapa, and Fansipan (Lao Cai).
Besides new tours, local firms will be supported to promote typical and OCOC products of Hoa Binh to customers in Ho Chi Minh City through wholesale and retail chains, supermarkets, and tourist sites.
Bui Xuan Truong, Vice Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that the sector is striving to realise dual targets of making tourism a spearhead economic sector and preventing the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
Hoa Binh is designing a plan to organise a Marathon race in association with tourism promotion events, he said, adding that tourism stimulus activities will be held to mark the 135th founding anniversary of Hoa Binh province, including a national community-based tourism festival in the locality./.