Society

Building identity, sustainable development of Nghe An tourism

Minh Quan • DNUM_AJZAHZCACF 14:04

In recent times, Nghe An tourism has made a remarkable change, marked by impressive growth figures in terms of visitor numbers, revenue and product quality. However, for tourism to truly break through and become a key economic sector of the province, there are still many difficulties and challenges that need to be resolved.

Outstanding results

The 2024-2025 period will witness the industry's drastic and flexible participation.Nghe An Tourismin attracting tourists. From Cua Lo beach to the highlands of the West, Nghe An tourism image is increasingly "covered" widely, professionally and creatively. A series of promotional programs are deployed synchronously, making the most of digital platforms: from the Fanpage "Visit Nghe An" attracting hundreds of thousands of interactions, to modern LED screens at airports and train stations - where thousands of passengers are welcomed every day.

Large-scale events such as the 2025 National Lotus Village Festival and the Tourism FestivalCua LoThe conference to promote “Green Tourism Journey” in collaboration with Thanh Hoa and Ninh Binh provinces is not only a place to connect destinations but also demonstrates the desire to position Nghe An tourism in a sustainable regional linkage chain.

Notably, the industry has proactively organized famtrip groups gathering many leading travel businesses nationwide, creating conditions for the “big guys” in the service industry to directly experience and build products suitable for the market. Deep cooperation with the UNESCO Hanoi Travel Club or other local tourism departments has opened up opportunities to bring Nghe An “in tune” with the national tourism map.

Along with promotion, the work of improving the quality of human resources is also given special attention. Professional training courses on hotels, restaurants, food safety and hygiene, updating tour guide knowledge... have equipped the necessary skills for thousands of workers directly in the industry.

In terms of infrastructure, the completion of Vinh – Cua Lo boulevard is a big boost. The route is shorter, but the tourist route is expanded: it takes less than 15 minutes to go from the center of Vinh Phu ward to the most vibrant beach in the Central region – Cua Lo. This is not only convenient for transportation, but also a testament to the right investment, creating a driving force for coastal development.

Destinations in Cua Lo ward, communes: Quynh Anh, Kim Lien, Chau Tien, Pu Mat National Park - Con Cuong commune... continue to be bright spots on the tourism map of Nghe An. Nghe An is also gradually "shaping" its typical product lines: sea tourism combined with resort and culinary culture; spiritual tourism associated with heritage; community eco-tourism in the West; MICE tourism, sea sports tourism...

There are still many difficulties and challenges.

Despite achieving encouraging growth figures, there are still many concerns for those who are passionate about tourism in Nghe An. Many experts and businesses frankly admit that Nghe An tourism has not yet fully exploited its inherent potential. One of the typical examples is spiritual tourism - a field considered a "gold mine" of the locality. Although Nghe An owns dozens of ancient relics, temples and pagodas and unique traditional festivals, the province has not yet had a comprehensive and long-term strategy to effectively exploit this treasure.

Another obstacle comes from the slow progress of key tourism projects, such as Cau Cau Resort or May Resort... The prolonged stagnation of key tourism projects not only slows down the process of renewing the face of Nghe An tourism, but also makes it difficult for the province to attract strategic investors - especially large domestic and foreign corporations with financial potential and experience in developing high-class destinations. Meanwhile, the number of international visitors to Nghe An is still quite modest, largely due to cumbersome administrative procedures, inconvenient visa issuance processes and a lack of flexible policies to support access to international markets.

Human resources – a key factor in tourism development, are also an inherent weakness. Nghe An tourism industry is currently seriously lacking international tour guides and high-quality personnel. The instability of human resources not only affects service quality but also makes it difficult for many businesses to maintain effective operations, especially during the low season.

In addition, the clear seasonality also makes Nghe An tourism market unsustainable. In the summer - especially the peak of sea tourism, destinations such as Cua Lo beach (after the merger of Cua Lo ward), Quynh Nghia (after the merger of Quynh Phu commune) ... are crowded, but when winter comes or after Tet holiday, many accommodation establishments have to operate at a low level, even close. Meanwhile, tourism infrastructure in many localities is still not really synchronized, causing difficulties in connecting tours, routes and improving the tourist experience.

Not only that, the direction and coordination of tourism management in some localities has shown signs of slowing down, partly due to the impact of the process of arranging and perfecting the organization of the two-level local government apparatus.

According to Ms. Tran Thi My Hanh - Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Nghe An, in the coming time, as a state advisory and management agency, the Department will propose to the Provincial People's Committee stronger incentive mechanisms and policies to support tourism businesses, from tax reduction, access to capital to training and development of high-quality human resources. The focus is on completing the Resolution on tourism development for the period 2026-2030, which clearly identifies solutions to promote strategic investment, improve service quality and competitiveness of Nghe An tourism industry in the context of integration. In addition, the tourism infrastructure system will continue to be prioritized for synchronous investment, from traffic connections, accommodation facilities, destinations, to utility services, contributing to creating a "tourism picture" that is more modern, convenient and attractive to tourists.

Regarding products, the Department will focus on developing tourism types that bear the unique mark of Nghe An. One of the new directions is to build a cruise tour on Lam River combined with performances of Vi and Giam folk songs - Representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity - thereby creating vivid and profound cultural experiences. At the same time, promote the development of community and ecological tourism in the Western districts to exploit the advantages of landscapes, highland identity and extend the length of stay of tourists.

Along with that, promotion and advertising activities will be upgraded towards modernity, flexibility and adaptability to digital transformation. The province will also proactively expand regional and international cooperation, strengthen coordination with airlines to open more routes to Nghe An and promote the improvement of visa policies, creating maximum convenience for international visitors to Nghe An.

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Businesses need to “join hands” to form “tourism alliances” – to cooperate, invest together and develop common products, instead of competing fragmentedly and widely. At the same time, accommodation establishments and destinations need to develop reasonable incentive policies for travel companies to bring tourists to the locality. The companionship, sharing and connection between the government, businesses and the community are the key factors to build a truly sustainable and unique Nghe An tourism industry.

Ms. Tran Thi My Hanh - Director of Nghe An Department of Culture - Sports and Tourism