Hai Duong develops sustainable tourism

Cultural and artistic activities in Bach Dang pedestrian and night market zone, Hai Duong city, are always renewed, attracting passers. Photo: Thanh Chung

Hai Duong welcomed about 920,000 tourists in the first half of 2023, up 2.43 times over 2022, according to the provincial culture, sports, and tourism sector.

The province raked in 391.1 billion VND from tourism, an increase of nearly 2.72 times compared to the previous year.

Those are positive figures in post-Covid-19 tourism recovery, in which, impacts of new tourism products of localities, tourist attractions, and relics must not be overlooked.

Bach Dang pedestrian and night market zone, which officially came into operation in Hai Duong city at the end of last April, has brought a breath of fresh air to tourism activities in the city with positive influences.

Professional and street art performances, folk games, book reading, and many other activities favored by young people take place in the pedestrian zone every weekend night (except for rainy days), luring thousands of locals and visitors.

Cultural, musical, and sport activities have been frequently renewed for the past nearly two months, making many tourists excited.

“I heard of Hai Duong city’s pedestrian and night market zone when visiting my relatives here. I decided to drop in the area and found streets beautifully decorated with lights, interesting activities, and diverse dishes. It was very bustling,” said Luu Sy Nguyen from Thai Nguyen city.

Besides Hai Duong city, Con Son - Kiep Bac special national relic site also offers visitors new experiences.

Outdoor activities have been contributing to retaining tourists longer, such as camping, folk games, mountaineering to explore Thanh Hu cave, the Fairy Chess Board, and Ngu Nhac shrines, check-in at Kiep Bac lotus lake…

Enjoying lotus tea at Kiep Bac temple has become a special cultural feature attracting tourists

The organization of tea parties to enjoy products made from lotus like lotus tea, lotus cakes, and lotus wine or Con Son chrysanthemum tea is also being gradually professionalized, having a part in enriching and improving the quality of services, meeting increasing needs of tourists, thereby creating a brand for the destination and tourism products and heightening the value of the special national relic site.

In addition to improving and adding activities and folk games to serve visitors, the Relic Management Board also plans to renovate and expand the experience area to 5,000 m2 and make Con Son stream run all year round.

“We are tasked to work out a project to develop Con Son - Kiep Bac tourism in the 2023 - 2030 period with orientation to 2050. It will be an important basis for drawing investment and effectively exploiting tourism potential and advantages towards turning Con Son - Kiep Bac into a national tourist attraction,” said Le Duy Manh, Deputy Head of the Relic Management Board.

There are many other destinations with attractive tourism products in Hai Duong province, such as visiting the provincial Museum and trying activities there; going sailing and picking lychees in Dong Man, Thanh Ha district; visiting Dao Co (Stork Island) in Chi Lang Nam commune, trying homestay combined with making noodles in Hoi Yen craft village, Thanh Mien district…

Even Tu Ky district, a locality with rare tourist activities, has launched the catching of ruoi (ragworm) and fiddler crabs, harvest of organic rice in An Thanh commune, tours to Xuan Neo embroidery village in Hung Dao commune, etc.

Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Vu Dinh Tien said the sector, localities, and units concerned will regularly grasp tourists’ needs to work out suitable tours and continuously refresh and diversify quality tourism products suitable to economic conditions and trends.

TRUONG THANH