To turn Hoa Binh Lake into a national tourism area, the Standing Board of the Hoa Binh provincial Party Committee on June 22, 2017 issued Resolution No. 14-NQ/TU on developing the Hoa Binh Lake tourism area. Since then, resources have been mobilised to promote local tourism activities. The area now has met three of the five important criteria for a national tourism area.
The Hoa Binh Tourism JSC has
launched a number of interesting experience activities to meet the needs of
visitors to the Hoa Binh Lake tourism area in Ngoi village of Suoi Hoa
communes, Tan Lac district.
Covering 52,200ha in Da Bac, Tan Lac, Cao Phong
and Mai Chau districts and Hoa Binh city, the lake is blessed with a
magnificent and poetic landscape featuring green mountain ranges and tens of
islands of all sizes that make it like a "Ha Long Bay on land”. It is also home
to many attractions, including historical, cultural and spiritual relic sites.
Outstanding places are Thac Bo Temple, Thac Bo Cave, Hoa Tin Cave, Ngoi Hoa
Bay, Dua Island, and Ngoc Island, along with tranquil villages imbued with the
typical cultures of Muong and Dao ethnic people.
To implement Resolution No. 14-NQ/TU and
capitalise on the potential and advantages of the lake's vicinity, the province
has mobilised resources to develop infrastructure in this area, thus paving the
way for attracting visitors to Hoa Binh Lake as well as investment in
developing accommodation facilities and tourism products.
Dinh Van Lan, Vice Chairman of the People’s
Committee of Binh Thanh commune in Cao Phong district, said the upgrade and
expansion of Provincial Road 435 have had positive impact on tourism in the
localities surrounding the lake in Cao Phong and Tan Lac districts.
He noted that his commune currently houses some
projects in the tourism area such as the Binh Thanh ecological resort tourism
site of the Mora Group JSC and the Parahill resort tourism site of the Beru
Group JSC.
There are 16 tourism and service investment
projects worth about 3.3 trillion VND (129.6 million USD) around the lake at present.
Apart from large projects on building natural, ecological and resort tourism
sites, the hotel, resort and community-based hostel system, hundreds of
transportation vessels, restaurants, and entertainment places are also
available here.
Tours connecting the Hoa Binh Lake tourism area
with other destinations in the province and nationwide have also formed,
creating a diverse tourism ecosystem. Meanwhile, the quality of tourism
products has also been improved. There are now one community-based tourism site
granted four stars and another granted three stars under the One Commune, One
Product (OCOP) programme.
Under the Prime Minister-approved general plan
on developing the Hoa Binh Lake national tourism area by 2035, the place will
be a key national tourism area in the northern midland and mountainous region,
and feature typical and diverse tourism products capitalising on local ethnic
groups’ cultures and the lake’s ecosystem. It is divided into six zones, with
Ngoi Hoa Bay - Thung Nai - Suoi Hoa in Tan Lac and Cao Phong districts forming
the core zone of tourism services.
Nguyen Van Toan, Vice Chairman of the provincial
People’s Committee, said the Hoa Binh Lake tourism area has significantly
contributed to the attraction of domestic and international tourists to the
province.
To draw over 1 million visitors to the area by
2025, he noted, Hoa Binh province is prioritising the building of technical
infrastructure to connect tourist attractions, boosting tourism development
with high-quality entertainment and relaxation services that meet at least
three-star standards, and strongly facilitating community-based tourism in tandem
with cultural identity preservation.
With the strong determination to become a
national brand, the Hoa Binh Lake tourism area is getting established in the
national tourism development strategy and tourism development in the northern
midland and mountainous region, according to the official.