Developing green tourism: A promising direction in Lang Son


Tourists visit and take photos at the chestnut garden in Quang Lac commune, Lang Son city

 Green tourism is a type of tourism based on nature and culture, with environmental education, contributing to conservation and sustainable development efforts, and with the active participation of local communities, also known as ecotourism, community tourism, rural tourismā€¦ Green tourism is one of the important contents in Vietnamā€™s tourism development strategy.

With 12,500 custard apple trees on a total area of 25 hectares, Lung Than custard apple garden, Dong Mo town, Chi Lang district has become an eco-tourism destination bringing many impressive and interesting experiences to domestic and foreign tourists. Mrs. Yuri, a tourist from Russia, said: Participating in the trip here, in addition to enjoying delicious food and beautiful scenery, I also got to pick custard apples myself and transport them by ā€œcable lineā€. I will introduce this tourist destination to my friends so they can come and have interesting experiences like me.

It is known that the Lung Than custard apple garden eco-tourism site, Dong Mo town, Chi Lang district was put into operation from the beginning of July 2023 and has so far welcomed over 1,000 visitors. Mrs. Dinh Thi Thao, Head of the Division of Culture and Information of Chi Lang district said: In early July 2023, the District Culture and Information Division advised the District Tourism Development Steering Committee to choose Lung Than to pilot the construction of an eco-tourism model. To attract tourists, the department has coordinated to build miniature landscapes, large billboards with QR codes to promote tourism and some seats with swings along the walkway to serve tourists to experience. Many tourists enjoy taking check-in photos here.

In fact, ecotourism associated with experiencing agricultural products is a new direction, promising not only for Chi Lang district. In Bac Son district, there are currently ecotourism and community tourism destinations associated with agriculture that attract domestic and foreign tourists including: Mo Mam stream, Hang Hu tangerine garden, Quynh Son community cultural tourism village. Mrs. Duong Hong Hanh, Deputy Head of the Culture and Information Division of Bac Son district said: To continue replicating tourism models associated with agriculture, we are researching and developing a number of key solutions such as: supporting gardeners in the area in creating miniature landscapes in the garden and promoting them to attract people to experience; mobilizing individuals, agricultural production organizations, and businesses to implement the model and build tours to visit orchards and agricultural cultivation in some communes: Chien Thang, Tan Huong, Vu Lang.

Not only Chi Lang and Bac Son districts, in recent years, districts and cities in the province have paid attention to developing green tourism and eco-tourism associated with experiences, typically: the chestnut, tangerine, grape, strawberry garden models (Lang Son city); model of experiencing being a farmer, experiencing the daily activities, labor, and cuisine of the people of the community tourism village of Huu Lien, Yen Thinh (Huu Lung)ā€¦. these models have brought many interesting and attractive experiences, attracting domestic and international tourists, creating more jobs and increasing income for local people.

Mr. Luu Ba Mac, Deputy Director of the Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said: to create unique rural tourism products, contributing to attracting tourists to Lang Son, the Department advised the Provincial Peopleā€™s Committee to develop a plan to implement the Rural Tourism Development Program in building new rural area in the province. Accordingly, we will focus on exploiting outstanding and different values, giving priority to developing agricultural products combined with tourism in a harmonious way, suitable to the conditions of each area.

ā€œTo exploit and develop tourism, especially green tourism products, in a sustainable manner, I think that functional units in the province should continue to invite experts to survey the vegetation, cave systemā€¦ to have the right directions in exploiting and developing these tourism resources. Green tourism resources will be promoted well if we have supportive policies and better and stricter management mechanisms. Ā For example, at rural tourist destinations we can build tourism cooperatives, divided into service groups to suit local conditions and tourist needs such as: transportation and shipping team; souvenir team; Accommodation facility team serving guests; local tour guide teamā€¦). At the same time, we ensure not to impact the natural environment, not destroy the landscape nor lose the characteristics of indigenous culture. If we can do that, I believe Lang Son tourism will develop faster and stronger.ā€

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hai, Director of Vietnam Institute for Sustainable Tourism Development

On January 6, 2023, the Provincial Peopleā€™s Committee issued Plan No. 06/KH-UBND to implement the Rural Tourism Development Program in New Rural Area building in the province until 2025; directed the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to organize a survey, evaluate and collect data on the current status of rural tourism development in the districts: Bac Son, Huu Lung, Dinh Lap, Chi Lang, which focused on evaluating technical facilities, rural tourism products, and the current status of rural tourism human resources.

Mrs. Tran Thi Bich Hanh, Director of the Provincial Tourism Information and Promotion Center said: In 2023, the Center for Tourism Information and Promotion has implemented plans to develop rural tourism in building new rural areas in Yen Thinh commune (Huu Lung district) and Chi Lang commune (Chi Lang district)ā€¦ Accordingly, we have implemented a number of key solutions such as: organizing the production of publications and items for tourism promotion and promotion; training and educating quality rural tourism human resources; organizing survey programs, seminars, get opinions from experts, tourism businesses, and tourists to serve market and tourism product development; supporting the application of information technology to serve tourism management and development; producing short films to advertise and promote rural tourismā€¦ In addition, in all booths participating in domestic and international tourism promotion and cooperation events, the center has a booth displaying provincial OCOP products (One Commune One Product Program) and eco-agricultural tourism products of Lang Son.

At the same time, the Provincial Peopleā€™s Committee selected 3 points in 3 districts of Dinh Lap, Huu Lung and Chi Lang to prepare to support investment in completing the system of technical facilities, fostering human resources, and developing propaganda content, and building location data to serve the promotion of rural tourist destinations. At the same time, the Provincial Tourism Promotion Information Center has printed 2,000 leaflets, built a website to promote rural tourism and agricultural products in Lang Son and is expected to organize 2 training classes for households in Huu Lung and Chi Lang districts in October 2023.

With the correct orientation of the Provincial Peopleā€™s Committee and the active participation of all levels and sectors, we believe that green tourism,  especially rural tourism and eco-tourism associated with agricultural products continue to be invested in, become larger in scale, more professional and become a promising direction of Lang Son tourism. Thereby, it contributes to achieving the goal of the Action Program to implement the Resolution of the 17th Provincial Party Congress set out to ā€œstrive for tourism to become an important economic sector by 2025, and by 2030 to become a key economic sector.ā€

Ngoc Hieu- Tuyet Mai
Lang Son News – baolangson.vn

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