" Lai Chau has great potential but little information available."
On October 3rd, in Sin Suoi Ho commune, Lai Chau province, the Vietnam Law Newspaper, in collaboration with the Department of Culture, Tourism and Sports of Lai Chau province, organized a workshop titled "Solutions to promote the development of distinctive tourism products for ethnic minority and mountainous areas in Lai Chau province".
The workshop was attended by journalist Tran Ngoc Ha - Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Vietnam Law Newspaper; Mr. Tran Quang Khang - Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Tourism and Sports of Lai Chau province, along with more than 100 journalists from central and local press agencies.
Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Tran Quang Khang, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Tourism and Sports of Lai Chau province, said that the locality has many tourism potentials and products, but information about Lai Chau is still limited.
According to Mr. Khang, through the program in coordination with media agencies, the province hopes to promote, boost, and awaken the tourism potential that has not yet been exploited to its full potential.
Leaders of the Department of Culture, Tourism and Sports of Lai Chau province also raised the issue of developing tourism in a rapid and sustainable manner. If development is too rapid, attracting a large number of tourists with diverse needs without proper direction, the locality may face the risk of disrupting local life and eroding indigenous cultural values.
"Developing tourism while preserving local culture" is one of the key issues emphasized by the leaders of Lai Chau's cultural sector.
Based on this reality, representatives from the Department of Culture, Tourism and Sports of Lai Chau province hope to receive frank opinions from journalists, businesses, and those working in the tourism industry so that the locality can listen, absorb, and thereby develop a suitable tourism development plan.
Unlocking the potential of media and infrastructure.
Journalist Tran Ngoc Ha, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Vietnam Law Newspaper, said that although Vietnam Law Newspaper does not yet have a media cooperation program with Lai Chau province, the organizing committee has chosen this locality to host the 3rd season of the "Footsteps on the Clouds" mountain climbing competition.
According to journalist Tran Ngoc Ha, Lai Chau's natural conditions and cultural identity are in no way inferior to other localities, yet the number of tourists visiting the province remains modest.
One of the issues mentioned is transportation infrastructure. Lai Chau is still relatively far from major centers, while its transportation system does not fully meet the requirements of tourism development.
Journalist Tran Ngoc Ha believes that the expectation of future expressways will help shorten distances, create more favorable conditions for Lai Chau to connect with other provinces and cities, and expand its tourism market.
Speaking at the conference, journalist Xuan Thuy from the Army Literature and Arts Magazine said that he had participated in all three seasons of the "Footsteps on the Clouds" mountain climbing competition.
According to journalist Xuan Thuy, what is impressive is the increasingly noticeable change in the areas where the competition is held. The number of people participating in exploring and conquering mountain peaks is growing, thereby contributing to the promotion of accommodation and services in the locality.
However, he argued that tourism development needs to clearly identify cultural "core areas," especially those spaces associated with the life, customs, traditions, and cultural identity of ethnic minority communities.
"That is our identity, the foundation for development," journalist Xuan Thuy emphasized.
According to him, if tourism products in different localities are all developed using the same model, the risk of duplication, monotony, and saturation is high. Therefore, after exploiting basic products, it is necessary to delve deeper into the unique values of each locality.
To achieve this, the human element is crucial. Journalist Xuan Thuy cites the example of porters serving mountain climbing tourists, arguing that they need to be trained, equipped with appropriate knowledge and professional licenses to minimize risks, while also improving their ability to accompany and introduce the local terrain, soil, culture, and people to tourists.
At the conference, journalist Cuong from VTV stated that Lai Chau still has much potential for developing its night-time economy at tourist destinations.
According to journalist Cuong, the locality possesses many unique cultural values, but the transformation of these values into tourism products to serve visitors is still limited.
Therefore, he suggested that Lai Chau could research ways to organize suitable cultural and artistic activities in the evening, thereby extending the length of stay, increasing tourist spending, and creating additional livelihoods for local people.
The conference discussions also focused on improving service quality, diversifying products, and increasing attractiveness to tourists. In particular, developing distinctive products that create a unique identity was identified as one of the key factors in enhancing the competitiveness of Lai Chau tourism.
The opinions expressed at the conference will serve as a basis for management agencies, businesses, and the tourism community to continue researching and improving products to suit local conditions.
This provides Lai Chau with a stronger foundation to effectively exploit its tourism potential, create livelihoods for ethnic minority and mountainous communities, and preserve and promote the traditional cultural values that define this region.
Source: https://baophapluat.vn/lai-chau-phat-trien-du-lich-phai-di-cung-bao-ton-ban-sac-van-hoa.html
