Promoting “Back to Roots” Tourism Brand

Since the three provinces started the cooperation on the programme “Back to roots”, their economic, social and cultural status has significantly improved. In addition, each programme, with rich contents and in different forms, has helped broadcast and spread the image and people of the three provinces.

 

First, it is worth mentioning the big changes in infrastructure. Previously, hardly any luxury hotels could be found in Nghia Lo (Yen Bai) or SaPa (Lao Cai). However, thanks to huge investment in developing infrastructure for tourism, a great number of hotels are now available. There are now nearly 1,000 accommodations, including over 100 with one to four stars, over 500 hotels and 260 restaurants. Besides, many typical tourism products have been created such as, “Roots in Ancestral Land”, “Luc Yen Gem Land”, “Northwest Roots”, “Highlands Colours”, which help increase the number of visitors. Not only offering the chance to discover the birth-place of the Hung Kings Lac Viet culture when entering Phu Tho, tourists are also able to study local traditions and customs, festivals and enjoy unique ethnic specialties, discover and conquer the mysterious “King in Black” mountain in Luc Yen (Yen Bai).

 

The greatest result brought about by the tourism cooperation of the three provinces is that through festivals, many beautiful traditions and customs as well as cultural spots have been recovered. Some localities have formed and developed models of community tourism, both exploiting local tourism potential and bringing income, improving local people’s lives. Therefore, the provinces’ tourism attains average growth of 16.7 % per year.  In 2010, through the programme, the number of tourists coming to the three provinces was estimated at over two million, earning more than VND1,000 billion. Moreover, with clear improvement in tourism investment, Yen Bai’s tourism image has been widely spread both locally and abroad.  “The cooperation programme to develop tourism of the three provinces Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Phu Tho is a model of inter-regional tourism and this positive cooperation will be the core of tourism development in the Northwest of Vietnam,” said Nguyen Manh Cuong, Deputy Director of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, based on the achievements of “2010’s Back to Roots.”

As the leader of the three provinces in the programme “2011’s Back to Roots”, Yen Bai province will hold many special cultural and tourism activities, boosting sustainable development of Yen Bai tourism in particular and that of the other two in general. The three provinces target to welcome 5.5 million tourists in 2011, in which there will be 400 thousand foreign arrivals, earning over VND1,200 billion. Yen Bai aims to receive over 350 thousand tourists, bringing turnover of more than VND 130 billion and pushing growth to 15 % against 2010.

 

Yen Bai together with Lao Cai and Phu Tho will create new inter- regional tourism products. Besides, Yen Bai tourism will promote communication and broadcast activities, creating an appealing environment to attract investment in tourism, speed up construction of provincial priority tourism spots and upgrade Thac Ba to a nationally ranked tourism destination. Especially, community tourism, eco-resorts, entertainment, ethnic minority culture and spiritual tourism will be exploited efficiently. Yen Bai will offer special tours such as: “Visiting the West with Bauhinia variegate”, “Terraced fields in Mu Cang Chai”, “Thac Ba discovery”, “Spirit – Luck – Gift spray”, and “Community Culture Study.”

 

With the continuous work of Phu Tho, Lao Cai and Yen Bai provinces, “Back to Roots” has become one of Vietnam’s outstanding tourism brands in recent years.

 

- Mother Au Co Temple Festival held from February 7^th to 9^th in Hien Luong commune – Ha Hoa district – Phu Tho province.

- Opening ceremony of “Back to Roots” programme 2011 taking place from February 26^th to 28^th in Nghia Lo town – Yen Bai province.

- Upper Temple Festival from February 16^th to 18^th in Lao Cai city

- “Walking in the cloud” Festival – Sapa 2011 from April 30^th to May 4^th in Sapa district

- Hung Temple from April 6^th to 12^th in Hung Temple vestige

- Expanded traditional horse race Bac Ha 2011 from June 27^th to 28^th in Bac Ha district’s stadium

- “Thac Ba Lake Echo” Festival in June in Yen Binh – Yen Bai province

- Discovery Fansipan Race 2011 from October 27^th to 29^th in Sapa district

- Muong Lo Culture & Tourism Week in October in Nghia Lo town, Yen Bai province

- Culture Week, Terraced Fields in Mu Cang Chai and discovery Pu Luong in October in Yen Bai province