Turning hope into reality

(Baonghean) - The inauguration of two flight routes from Vinh City to Vientiane, the capital of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, and from Vinh City to Da Lat has brought much confidence and hope to Nghe An. The hope is that this opening of new airspace will create a foundation and position for opening up other areas, such as trade, commerce, tourism and services, and deepening and broadening diplomatic relations to elevate domestic and international relations in both economic and political aspects. This will also provide a comparative advantage to enhance the attractiveness and competitiveness of Nghe An with other localities in the region.

The most important issue is finding the right approach and steps to turn those advantages and hopes into reality. This will create concrete results in people's lives and become a resource to accelerate the socio-economic development of the province. It's true that more flight routes create more opportunities for trade and commerce, but it's not entirely easy to capitalize on these opportunities. This is especially true without a well-structured plan with a specific roadmap, including tasks and timelines tailored to the specific circumstances of each stage.

The first thing to do is to focus on researching and carefully considering whether we have what we need at the other end of the flight path and what we need to do to obtain it. Conversely, on this side of the flight path, we must also reassess whether we have enough of what people need. What is missing and needs to be supplemented, and how, and for how long, to have everything that people need? Because ultimately, people travel, whether by land, air, or sea, for fame or profit, or both. Having both is best. If not, at least one of them should be obtained. If neither is obtained, people will certainly stop coming, stop seeking us out. And conversely, if we keep going without reaching out, we will also lose interest in them. And even if we had more flight paths, it wouldn't be of any use.

In theory, that's true. Specifically, the industry that benefits most directly from the two new flight routes is tourism. Both ends of the routes are vast tourism markets with immense potential and attractiveness to tourists. One side boasts long-established professionalism, beautiful landscapes, and pleasant weather. The other offers the irresistible allure of pristine nature and novelty, both in its natural environment and its people. Compared to them, our tourism industry and environment are currently at a disadvantage. However, being at a disadvantage doesn't always mean being at a disadvantage if we know how to leverage our role and position as a transit point. To do this, we must create a unique and distinct appeal compared to the other two ends. We already possess that uniqueness: the sea. Da Lat doesn't have a beach. Vientiane doesn't have a beach. The sea will be a "new, unique, and delicious treat" for tourists to stop by and enjoy during a journey of "going to the mountains and down to the sea," experiencing all the nuances of their aesthetic desires. And tourists, whether going to Da Lat or heading to Laos, will always have to stop in Nghe An province.

That's a huge advantage. The remaining challenge is knowing how to entice them to stay at this transit point for as long as possible. The more ways we can come up with to encourage them to spend money, experience new things, and satisfy their personal preferences, the more we benefit. But achieving that is not easy. We must create an eye-catching first impression. Next, we must offer a sincere, thoughtful, attentive, and welcoming reception. There should be no price gouging, and the food, accommodation, entertainment, sightseeing, and culinary experiences must give visitors a feeling of freshness, safety, friendliness, and respect, regardless of their wealth or spending habits. The eye will lead to the heart; once they are captivated, they will inevitably return to us again and again as an ideal destination for rest and relaxation. In short, we must both meet their needs and create what they desire. Let's boldly focus our resources on building and developing the tourism industry step by step to meet the criteria mentioned above. After all, we are currently at the midpoint of two flight paths. And being in the middle, you never lose your share of the blanket. Therefore, the first step in turning hope into reality should be to prioritize concentrating human and material resources on the tourism industry.

Once Nghe An becomes a well-known tourist destination both domestically and internationally, it will undoubtedly attract more businesses and entrepreneurs from around the globe to invest and establish themselves there. Because it offers both relaxation and opportunities to earn money, satisfying two of humanity's greatest needs, who wouldn't be tempted? Achieving this will surely make today's hopes a reality in the near future.

Duy Huong