A visit to Lang Son requires a taste of its local delicacies such as local fermented pork rolls and a bottle of rice wine. Lang Son authorities have focused on local tourism development. Reporter Hoang Trang interviewed Director of Lang Son Province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Lang Son Hoang Van Pao.
How important is the development of local tourism?
More than 80 percent of Lang Son is mountainous. The local economy is mainly based on agriculture and forestry, accounting for 37 percent; industry and construction nearly 28 percent and services 40 percent. That means tourism development will be prioritized in Lang Son’s economic development.
What do you think about Lang Son’s attractions?
I see them not only as local people’s pride but also a competitive advantage for Lang Son over other provinces and cities across the country. These sights are considered a gold mine for Lang Son to exploit and boost its economic development.
How has Lang Son exploited these gold mines?
Lang Son currently receives more than two million tourists every year, which is not a small number for a mountainous province with a population of less than 750,000 people; however, provincial tourism revenue remains lower than expected.
Why is that?
Talking about economic development is talking about the economic indicators to be measured in economic quantities. As far as I know, the city of Da Nang, one of the country’s most attractive tourist destinations, last year received around 2.7 million tourists, achieving VND6 trillion in tourism revenue. Meanwhile, Lang Son Province, which is able to receive more than two million tourists annually, only records less than VND700 billion in tourism revenue.
Could you explain why a tourist to Lang Son only spends a tenth of the average in Da Nang?
It's understandable, because a tourist to Lang Son often stays there for a shorter period than a tourist to Da Nang due to poor tourism services and under-exploitation of local sights. Therefore, most tourists to Lang Son just go sightseeing during the day and occasionally stay there for a period of time; this is the weakness that Lang Son’s tourism sector is determined to overcome in the near future.
What will Lang Son do to exploit its potential in the coming time?
In June 2012, Lang Son Province’s People’s Committee issued an important resolution for the development of trade, services, and tourism for the 2015-2020 period. This affirmed that the tourism sector was an important economic spearhead, and could provide a breakthrough in provincial economic growth and restructuring. According to the resolution, Lang Son will strive to welcome 2.8 million tourists by 2015. Every international tourist will stay for 1.5-2 days while every domestic tourist will stay for 1.8-2.5 days on average. To achieve these criteria, we have to do a lot of things.
Could you highlight some of the things that Lang Son’s tourism sector is concentrating on?
We are calling for investment in tourism projects for Nhi Thanh and Tam Thanh caves, To Thi Statue and mountain, the Mac Dynasty Citadel, Na Tam Ecotourism Resort, Tien Well and Pagoda Restoration, and Mau Son Ecotourism Resort. We are busy planning for these projects and are offering investors attractive incentives and streamlined administrative procedures.
Will Lang Son attempt to transform Mau Son Tourist Resort into one of the country’s most attractive tourist destinations?
Mau Son is one among five tourist resorts including Da Lat (Lam Dong Province), Ba Na (Da Nang City), Tam Dao (Vinh Phuc Province), Sapa (Lao Cai Province) and Mau Son (Lang Son Province), chosen by the French as a resort during the colonial period. All the four other destinations have so far effectively exploited by local authorities. Recently, Lang Son Province’s People’s Committee has issued a resolution on developing Mau Son into one of the most attractive tourism destinations in the country. This resolution will be the guideline for the development of Mau Son in the future.
What do you expect from Lang Son’s tourism sector?
We are striving for maximum effort to have enough leverage for any potential stimulus for the future. I think Lang Son needs to effectively exploit its competitive advantages, creating new tourism products based on its landscapes and history. Mau Son Lang Son should become an attractive destination for domestic and international tourists.
Source: VEN