On May 23, 2023, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued Decision No. 1439/QD.UBND approving the Strategy for Nghe An tourism development to 2030, with a vision to 2035. The strategic goal is: Promoting the potential, advantages of geographical location - culture, natural resources and rich cultural heritage to create a breakthrough development for Nghe An tourism, gradually turning tourism into a spearhead economic sector, contributing positively to the growth and economic restructuring of the province.
By 2030, Nghe An will become one of the tourist centers of the North Central region and an attractive destination for Vietnam and Southeast Asia with unique tourism products bearing the cultural imprint of Nghe An. Tourism will basically become the province's spearhead economic sector, creating a driving force to promote the development of other industries and sectors; contributing 9-10% to the province's GRDP.
By 2035, Nghe An will become a tourist destination in Asia and the world, a bright spot, a leader in developing Vietnam's heritage and tourism economy, strongly developing high value-added services to increase the proportion of the service industry in the economic structure; contributing to the province's GRDP from 10-12%.
According to the Nghe An Tourism Development Strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2035 approved in Decision No. 1439/QD.UBND of the Provincial People's Committee, the typical tourism brand of Nghe An province is thematic tourism about President Ho Chi Minh, the country and people of Nghe An. In particular, the orientation for tourism product development includes 7 basic groups: cultural-historical tourism (cultural tourism, spiritual tourism, visiting relics, scenic spots, religion, visiting, pilgrimage, returning to the source, cuisine, folk songs, Nghe Tinh; resort tourism, health care (sea, island; mountain; special climate zone); eco-tourism, discovery, exploration (rivers - lakes; nature research, world biosphere reserves; scuba diving, mountain climbing); community tourism, experience; urban tourism, shopping, sports, entertainment, transit tourism (border gates, ships); MICE tourism; thematic tourism, celebrity tourism.
Regarding tourism development investment in the province, there will be 4 directions: Development direction 1 (Vinh City, Cua Lo, Nam Dan, Thanh Chuong, Hung Nguyen, Nghi Loc) focuses on investing in construction and developing tourism in Nam Dan and Vinh City to become the tourism center of the province and the North Central region with many types of high-quality tourism products and services. In particular, focusing on developing cultural and historical tourism about President Ho Chi Minh, urban tourism in Vinh City (expanded)...
Development direction 2 (Dien Chau, Yen Thanh, Do Luong, Quynh Luu, Hoang Mai town) focuses on developing coastal urban tourism and modern historical culture; tourism specializing in writers and poetess Ho Xuan Huong, and folk culture tourism of fishing villages and salt-making villages.
Development direction 3 (Nghia Dan, Thai Hoa Town, Tan Ky, Anh Son, Con Cuong, Tuong Duong, Ky Son) focuses on developing geological and cultural-historical tourism; ecotourism, community tourism and highland resorts; ecotourism in the biosphere reserve at Pu Mat National Park and adventure tourism at Puxailaileng peak...
Development direction 4 (Quy Chau, Quy Hop, Que Phong) focuses on developing indigenous cultural tourism, discovery, exploration, community tourism, and rural tourism in ethnic minority villages.
The strategy implementation roadmap is divided into 2 phases: Phase I (2023-2030), Phase II (2031-2035). The strategy also sets out specific implementation solutions; clearly assigns the strategy implementation tasks to the Provincial Tourism Development Steering Committee, departments, branches, localities, relevant organizations, units and enterprises.
It can be said that the Strategy for Nghe An Tourism Development to 2030, with a vision to 2035, has demonstrated a strong determination to develop Nghe An tourism to its full potential. Supporting this strategy, on July 18, 2023, the Politburo issued Resolution No. 39-NQ/TW on building and developing Nghe An to 2030, with a vision to 2045. Resolution No. 39-NQ/TW clearly states that "tourism will become a spearhead economic sector, making Nghe An one of the tourist centers of the North Central region, an attractive destination for the whole country".
From the Nghe An Tourism Development Strategy to 2030, vision to 2035 and especially Resolution No. 39-NQ/TW, leading tourism experts across the country have provided additional comments so that the resolution and strategy can soon come into life and become a vivid reality.
According to Mr. Nguyen Trung Khanh - Director of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration: In the immediate future, Nghe An needs to take Kim Lien and sea tourism as the core to develop tourism. With sea tourism, Nghe An must have more high-class beach resorts, aiming to serve long-stay guests, international tourists and high-spending tourists.
Mr. Vu The Binh - Chairman of Vietnam Tourism Association, said: There are many historical and cultural relics and spiritual cultural works in Nghe An, but we should not exploit all of them, but focus on the key point that everyone knows, which is Kim Lien National Special Historical Relic Site. Nghe An needs to focus on investing in renovating and promoting the historical value of Kim Lien National Special Historical Relic Site to match the cultural heritage value of President Ho Chi Minh; focus on building spiritual and source tourism products here.
An expert suggested: Nghe An should prioritize focusing on the Cua Lo - Vinh - Nam Dan area. Particularly for the Western region, it is necessary to learn from the tourism development methods of the two provinces of Cao Bang and Ha Giang - the "rising stars" of Vietnam tourism (with natural conditions and weather basically similar to the Western region of Nghe An). The lesson from these two provinces is consistency in the way of doing tourism, focusing on building truly systematic tourism products, quickly affirming the quality of attractive destinations, thereby bringing great efficiency when promoting and spreading on social networks.
Mr. Truong Quoc Hung - Chairman of the UNESCO Hanoi Travel Club said: Nghe An needs to build chains and tourism product packages that connect regions such as Thanh Hoa and Ha Tinh to facilitate tourists and increase competitiveness; at the same time, promote cooperation with Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and other localities. To perform well the function of a regional center, Nghe An must maintain domestic flights and open more international flights. In addition, it is important to pay attention to connecting to Laos, Thailand and the ASEAN region.
Regarding tourism products, Dr. Nguyen Bao Thoa - Director of the Vietnam Institute for Rural Industry Development Research advised: Up to now, Nghe An has quite diverse and rich agricultural tourism products. These are fresh agricultural products, processed agricultural products, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, herbs, cotton fabrics and garments, souvenirs from wood, fibers, rattan and bamboo. The story now is that Nghe An needs to develop its brand further; "breathe life" into the products with stories...
Currently, Nghe An tourism industry has been focusing on building strong tourism products; attracting branded investors; strengthening cooperation and association in tourism development; promoting market development; strengthening tourism promotion and propaganda associated with digital transformation; training and fostering to improve vocational skills for workers; promoting administrative reform, improving the effectiveness of state management, ensuring security and safety for tourists when coming to Nghe An.
Mr. Nguyen Manh Loi - Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism shared: Tourism is a comprehensive service economic sector, with interdisciplinary, inter-regional, highly socialized and profound cultural content. For Nghe An to become a tourism center of the North Central region, tourism to become a spearhead economic sector, it is necessary to have the cooperation and strong participation of other sectors as well as localities, businesses and all people in accordance with the spirit of Resolution 39-NQ/TW "renewing thinking, arousing the aspiration for comprehensive, faster and stronger development".
In the coming time, localities in the province need to continue to do well in state management of tourism according to decentralization; well implement plans, strategies, projects, and plans on tourism development; do well in district planning, land use planning; increase attraction of investors, as well as accompany and create all favorable conditions for investors to implement projects.
Tourism businesses in the area continue to strengthen reinvestment to improve the quality of facilities and services, and regularly innovate products; promote their tourism products well; invest in applying digital technology in tourism services; regularly train human resources; comprehensively innovate awareness, thinking and tourism practices, change customer service methods and grasp tourists' tastes well.
On the side of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, we will continue to support Nghe An province in tourism promotion activities in foreign markets that Nghe An tourism industry is targeting such as: Southeast Asian countries, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Germany, Russia; support calling for and attracting strategic and international investors to invest in the tourism and service sectors; organize national and international tourism events in Nghe An province.
