What tourism products is Nghe An currently developing?

The range of tourism products is not yet diverse.

Assessing tourism in Nghe An in recent years, many people share the same opinion: although tourism products have improved, they have not yet created a breakthrough, and there are no products that have established a distinctive brand.

Cua Lo beach town and the Kim Lien National Special Historical Site (Nam Dan) have been key tourist destinations in Nghe An for many years. However, objectively speaking, Cua Lo is still largely a destination for domestic tourists, with the number of out-of-province visitors tending to decrease, especially with the recent emergence of many other beach resorts in the region.

Visitors to the Kim Lien National Special Historical Site are mainly those on pilgrimage as part of a "returning to the roots" program, expressing their respect and gratitude to President Ho Chi Minh.

Until now, when talking about tourism in Nghe An, many tourists from the South and North provinces think of only Cua Lo beach and President Ho Chi Minh's birthplace. This reflects the reality that Nghe An's tourism products are not yet diverse and have not created a breakthrough, thus failing to attract many tourists to experience them.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc An, Deputy General Director of Fiditour - Vietluxtour Joint Stock Company (Ho Chi Minh City), believes that in the minds of people throughout the country, tourism in Nghe An mainly consists of "back to the roots" programs, taking tourists to the Kim Lien National Special Historical Site and to the simple and rustic Cua Lo beach. This is not enough to "capture" tourists, especially those from the South.

Due to its unique climate, tourism can only be exploited for half the year. Furthermore, compared to other southern provinces, Nghe An still lacks the appeal to attract major tourist centers like Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho, despite having direct flights from these locations.

Sharing the same opinion as Mr. Nguyen Ngoc An, Mr. Nguyen Phi Phong - Head of Product Department, Mytour Tourism Joint Stock Company (Hanoi) said: "Nghe AnThe focus is currently on developing beach tourism in Cua Lo and historical and spiritual destinations such as the Kim Lien National Special Historical Site. This leads tourists from major cities like Hanoi, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City, and Can Tho to think of Nghe An only as having Cua Lo and President Ho Chi Minh's birthplace. This creates limitations for the economic development of tourism in Nghe An, as beach tourism can only be exploited for a few months each year during the hot season.

Product restructuring

Based on the aforementioned reality, Nghe An province has identified the urgent need to gradually restructure tourism products towards focused and targeted development, and to improve quality based on building unique products bearing the Nghe An tourism brand.

According to experts, Nghe An's tourism sector still has significant potential for further development by creating new products and revitalizing existing ones. In particular, the western region, with its majestic and picturesque mountain scenery, prosperous villages, and unique cultural life and customs of the ethnic minorities, is a valuable resource for developing tourism products.

Having participated in a Famtrip survey in Nghe An, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc An said that he discovered many tourist routes and destinations that could be exploited to create various types of products, suitable for many customer groups, and could be exploited year-round.

Mr. An tentatively proposed new types of tourism besides traditional tours that can be exploited immediately, including: Sports and adventure tourism, mountain climbing and camping associated with Puxailaileng peak (Ky Son) and with Giang River and Pha Lai ferry (Con Cuong); Cultural tourism experiencing the identity of ethnic groups in the highlands...

However, to launch these types of products, it is first necessary to standardize supporting services such as accommodation, transportation, tour guiding, menus, and local travel agencies.

Nguyen Phi Phong also noted that in Nghe An, besides Cua Lo, Cua Hoi, and President Ho Chi Minh's birthplace, destinations such as Puxailaileng peak (Ky Son), Pu Mat National Park, Giang River - Pha Lai ferry (Con Cuong), and Hon Mat (Nghia Dan)... are attractive destinations for tourists from major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

The problem here is that the promotion and communication efforts of travel agencies are weak and not implemented in a synchronized and consistent manner. Currently, tourism communication efforts are not strong enough to boost tourism in Western Nghe An.

To further develop tourism in Nghe An, the following factors need to be ensured: Travel companies should begin researching and developing the most professional tourism products, studying target groups and appropriate lengths of stay for their customers; destinations need legal support for safe tourism, and accommodation facilities should meet standards.

According to the Head of the Department of Tourism, the tourism industry is currently developing two new products. The first is "Kayaking - trekking - mountain biking from Pha Lai Dam (Xieng village) to Co Phat village (Mon Son commune - Con Cuong district)". The second is "Conquering Puxailaileng Peak" (Ky Son district) - considered the "roof of the Northern Truong Son mountain range".

With these two tourism products (currently under development), the tourism industry expects to attract a large number of visitors, especially international tourists. These products will be linked with traditional products such as community tourism and visits to historical sites and scenic spots in the region to support each other and retain tourists.