Moc Chau National Tourism Zone: Plentiful Development Potential

As the gateway of Son La, Moc Chau Plateau has diverse terrain, fresh temperate climate, and beautiful scenery, which is ideal for tourism development. Moc Chau has been identified as one of the tourism centres in the key national strategy for tourism development in the Northwest.

 

Due to the terrain texture, geological characteristics, Moc Chau possesses a rich ecosystem with a cool climate sub-region of the steppe. Coming to Moc Chau, visitors can unleash panoramic view over the plateau of more than 50,000 hectares with lush meadows, vast tea fields, and wide range of apricots, plums, peaches spanning over both slopes. It is also a home to many charming landscapes such as waterfalls, pine forests, On village’s five caves, Son Moc Huong Cave, Xuan Nha National Reserve, Pha Luong peak. Besides, the province has a system of archaeological sites along the Da River, such as animal fossils in Chieng Yen commune, Tang Me Cave and historical sites.

 

Along with many attractions, Moc Chau has many hot mineral springs such as Muong Khoa, Phu Mao, Ban Bo, Hua Pang and unique cultures of ethnic groups like the White Thai, Muong, Mong, Dao, Xinh Mun, and Kho Mu people. Each ethnic group has own culture and festivals such as Het Cha of the White Thai, Lap Tinh of the Dao, and Nao Song of the Mong people.

 

Moc Chau is considered the highest concentration of tourism resources of Son La in particular and the northern mountainous areas in general. Son La tourism is not only for relaxation, entertainment, sightseeing scenery and landscapes, but also cultural and festival tourism destination.

 

Moc Chau is also the gateway of the Northwest and the stop for inter-regional itinerary tours among Hanoi, Son La, Dien Bien Phu, Sapa and Lao Cai and the transnational tourist routes among Hanoi, Son La, Luang Prabang (Laos) and Thailand; the tourist route among Son La, Lai Chau and Yunnan (China) which has been planned by the local tourism sector. Moc Chau’s tourism services can meet demands for travel, accommodations, meetings, dining, shopping, sightseeing and medical treatment.

 

Capturing the market demands, hospitality businesses have invested in hundreds of restaurants and tourism accommodations to serve tourists. There are 147 restaurants and entertainment services; 87 accommodation facilities with nearly 600 rooms, and 1,500 beds. Some travel programmes are connected to tourism attractions of Ang village, Doi village (Moc Chau), Na Bai (Van Ho); and the eco and agricultural tourism to tea fields. The number of the tourists has increased. According to the statistics in 2014, Moc Chau received 800,000 visitors.

 

The Prime Minister has approved Decision 2050/QD-TTg, dated November 12, 2014 on "the overall planning of the national tourist zones of Moc Chau and Son La from 2020 to 2030". Accordingly, Moc Chau National Tourism Zone has been planned with a total area of 206,150 hectares, located in two districts of Moc Chau and Van Ho. Moc Chau has targeted to be a dynamic regional tourism centre of Son La and a tourist area of Northern mountainous provinces, with diverse and unique tourism products and beautiful natural landscapes.

 

Moc Chau National Tourism Zone has formed three key tourism centres including Moc Chau resorts, Moc Chau ecotourism centre and the Moc Chau recreation centre. Moc Chau Tourism Centre has been formed by the area of 442 hectares and 14 functional areas. Currently, the PPC has approved the planning of the five areas including: the 4-star resort, the botanical garden; the rice field resort, the plantations, and fruit pick-up gardens. A number of investment projects to build urban transport, electricity, water systems have been approved. The PPC has also approved investment projects in parks, tourist spots in Moc Chau district. This plan will help the district to make a breakthrough in the near future.

 

The Prime Minister has advocated maximum mobilisation of all resources, which focuses on mobilising resources from all economic sectors in order to create opportunities for the domestic and foreign investors to attract many tourist from the Northwestern areas in particular and Vietnam in general. Son La province also open the door to welcome the investors, create an open friendly investment environment and favourable business condition, and promote many projects in different sectors to tap into available local advantages.

 

To promote the tourism programme of Moc Chau National Tourism Zone, the province has established a number of mechanisms and policies to attract investment, implemented many preferential policies to support investment and promote the development of cattle breeding, rubber trees, and encourage enterprises and cooperatives to invest in agricultural and rural areas of Son La in the period of 2015-2020. Son La also aims to support investors in the implementation process and regularly organises direct dialogues and timely solutions to remove difficulties and problems of the investors. At the same time, the province has organised many workshops to introduce tourism potential of Moc Chau and enhanced administrative reforms to support the investors. Particularly, the province has cooperated with the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) to implement the programme for the preferential credits to support the businesses to ensure the effectiveness of the works and projects.

 

With many attractive investment policies, Moc Chau is expected to reach the development objectives of the national tourism zone and become the leading tourism centre of the province and of the northern mountainous and midland areas. The province will be soon recognised by its unique tourism products, associated with the natural landscapes and the cultural identities.

 

It is estimated that there will be 1.25 million foreign and domestic visitors to Moc Chau by 2020 and 2.97 million visitors by 2030. In 2020, the total revenue from tourism will reach VND1,429 billion, equivalent to US$7.6 million and in 2030, this will be VND5,557 billion, equivalent to US$64.6 million.