Ha Tinh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said the province welcomed 441,059 tourist arrivals and raked in VND130 billion from tourism industry in the first half of 2011. This achievement is still behind its potential.
The province’s tourism treasures include the Hong Linh Ridge with 99 mounts, the Lam River, the Ngan Pho River, Thien Cam Beach, Huong Tich Pagoda, Hoang Muoi Temple, Le Khoi Temple, Dong Loc Junction Monument. Ha Tinh has more than 500 relics, with 72 nationally rated monuments and 260 province rated monuments. This number of vestiges is considered high, on a natural area of 6,055 sq. kilometres.
Ha Tinh is located on the Central Heritage Path, which stretches to the Space of Gong Culture in the Central Highlands to the Ho Dynasty Citadel in Thanh Hoa province. It is also an important element to link Vietnam with Laos, Thailand and other ASEAN nations. With the sea, forests and landscapes combining for a favourable location, Ha Tinh is rich in tourism development potential.
However, potential is just potential. The province has 100 accommodation establishments (with more than 10 rooms), including one 4-star hotel and three 3-star facilities. Domestic and international travel centres have a presence in the province but they lack cooperation. Mr Nguyen Truong Sinh, Director of Galaxy Hotel and Chairman of Ha Tinh Tourism Association, said: “It is quite difficult to increase tourism in Ha Tinh because of weak infrastructure and insufficient personnel. It is true that Ha Tinh people are hardworking and studious enough to escape poverty, but they tend to choose other careers, rather than those related to tourism. Hence, human factors are a challenge.
Ha Tinh’s specialties comprise of sweetened groundnut candies (round flat groundnut candy), Phuc Trach pomelo, Huong Son deer antlers, Bu orange and many others. But these products are now not attractive enough to catch the attention of travellers and not popular enough to promote the tourism of Ha Tinh province. Mr Tran Hau Minh, Deputy Director of Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: “Our tourism products are still poor. We must do something to keep visitors staying longer.”
Tourism development is compared to a soap opera featuring episodes of difficulties and challenges. A businessman said, “Tourism companies are in need of strong policies from the government. Investors need capital which is the unique mechanism for tourism companies. Then, tourism potential in Ha Tinh will be unlocked.” To meet these requirements, in 2011, Ha Tinh province is focusing on building tourism economic development policies. Projects with a total investment of VND100 billion or more, three-star accommodations or higher rankings will have surrounding infrastructure built, including site clearance expenditures. They will also enjoy corporate income tax breaks and land rental reductions. Besides, the province will concentrate on investing in major tourist sites like high-grade Thien Cam Resort, Xuan Thanh ecological marine zone, Son Kim ecological mineral water zone, Nguyen Du cultural - tourism zone, Huong Pagoda, Cui Temple, Dong Loc Junction Monument, Ke Go eco-tourism zone. It will also mobilise resources to restore and renovate monuments and landscapes; and build infrastructure to meet the requirements of sustainable tourism development.
Human resource training is considered the key to unlock the Ha Tinh tourism development strategy. Mr Tran Hau Minh admitted, “Poor human resources entail limited tourism products.” In the near future, Ha Tinh will encourage and facilitate foreign investors to develop tourism human resources.
Coupled with incentives for infrastructure and human resource investment for tourism development, Ha Tinh province will promote the popularity and branding of provincial tourism. With inherent potential and advantages plus innovative policies, the Ha Tinh tourism industry will surely make great headway.
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