Rich in Tourism Potential

Hoa Binh province has a population of nearly 800,000 people, belonging to seven ethnic groups, namely Muong (nearly 63 percent of population), Kinh, Thai, Tay, Dao, Mong and Hoa. With unique cultural identities including customs, architecture, clothing, folk song, folk dancing, and traditional rituals and festivals, this land is very attractive to visitors.

 

Apart from human resources, Hoa Binh is also endowed with natural resources, a pleasant environment and cool climate. The province is full of high mountains separated by low mountains and valleys. The province also has many rivers, lakes, and particularly the reservoir for Hoa Binh hydropower plant, a huge resource for both hydropower and tourism.

 

Rich tourism resources imbued with local cultural identity provide favourable conditions to create tourism products, build tourist attractions, and explore new forms of tourism.

 

The number of visitor arrivals to Hoa Binh province grows consistently at a high rate. In 2006 - 2010, the locality welcomed 3,581,855 passengers (an average year on year increase of 24.9 percent), of which 305,779 were international visitors and 3,276,076 were domestic visitors. Tourism revenues totalled VND1,119.5 billion (average annual increase of 14 percent). In the first six months of 2011, Hoa Binh served 745,300 visitors, up 20.72 percent year on year, and 54.2 percent of the full-year plan. Particularly, international visitors accounted for 46,600 and domestic arrivals were 698,700. Tourism revenues reached VND239 billion, up 24.5 percent over the same period of 2010, and 66.3 percent of the yearly plan.

 

In the past years, Hoa Binh Provincial Party Committee has issued resolutions and action programmes to promote tourism development. In executing Resolution 11/NQTU on tourism development through 2015, many tourist sites and ecological tourism urban zones have been invested for construction. The province puts a premium on developing cultural tourism and preserving and upholding cultural heritages.

 

As regards development planning, the province has mapped and carried out development plans: Hoa Binh tourism development master plan (2001 - 2010); Luong Son and Kim Boi district tourism development plans (2001 - 2010); and Da Bac, Tan Lac and Hoa Binh Lake tourism development plans (2006 - 2020). The Hoa Binh cultural, sporting, tourism and family development plan for 2011 - 2020 is being finalised and submitted to the Provincial People's Committee for approval.

 

With respect to investment attraction, the province attracted more than 70 tourism projects as of September 2010 (including 35 projects worth VND6,432.6 billion in 2009). Investment capital for tourism infrastructure was VND142.59 billion in the 2006 - 2010 period, of which centrally funded capital was VND122.563 billion and locally sourced capital was VND20.027 billion.

 

The province also has many national cultural tourism programmes and eco-tourism programmes in Ngoc Son - Ngo Luong Nature Reserve. It has joined hands with Thanh Hoa province to build adventure tours to Pu Luong Nature Reserve, caves, mountain climbing, rafting in Mai Chau and Hoa Binh lakes, religious tourism, and historical tourism.

 

Tapping Muong cultural values, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has restored traditional festivals and rituals like Hoa Binh Gong Festival, Muong Bi Festival, Chua Tien Festival, Fishing Festival, and Voi Village Swinging Festival.

 

Notwithstanding these achievements, the province also encounters difficulties in preserving, researching, collecting and promoting cultural values because of insufficient care and support. Traditional cultural identities are fading away. Cultural training is ineffective while tourism programme quality is low. The quality of services and human resources is poor, while coordination of State agencies for cultural tourism development is lax.

On September 20, 2006, the Hoa Binh Provincial Party Committee promulgated Resolution 03 -NQ/TU on investment attraction in the period from 2006 to 2010 with the purpose of creating strong fundamental progress in the entire political system and raising awareness of investment attraction among all people to tap local potential and advantages to expand production, accelerate industrialisation, modernisation and export, step up economic restructuring, create new jobs and reduce poverty to bring Hoa Binh province out of the group of poor provinces by 2010.

 

On April 21, 2011, Hoa Binh Provincial People’s Committee issued Decision 04/2011/QD-UBND on regulations on investment management and encouragement in Hoa Binh province. Particularly, the province will continue attracting more investment capital, speeding up economic growth, and ensuring social security. It will raise awareness of investment management and attraction for concerned people to “create a favourable environment and conditions to catch outside investment capital and mobilise maximal internal resources to develop industry and services to lay the groundwork for rapid and sustainable growth in the coming periods.”

With reference to investment incentives and support, the province offers exemptions and reductions on corporate income tax, land rentals and import taxes on machines for new investors. It provides information about investment environment and policies, socioeconomic development master plans, land planning, construction planning and others. Investors are also supported with technical advances, new technologies, information, markets, concessional lending from development programmes and funds.