Lang Son ‘promising for tourism’

The northern border province of Lang Son should sharpen its tourism focus to serve domestic visitors better and promote some of its own unique products to counter Chinese goods, experts have said.
Vu The Binh, director of the Travel Department under the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism, that the province should pay more attention to developing its tourism infrastructure, especially hotels and resorts, said at a conference held in HCM City.
‘Attract more locals’
He said the province should pay heed to the fact that most tourists to Lang Son would be from other areas of the country, and a small amount from China. Operators should therefore create tours with the aim of attracting more Vietnamese customers, he said.
"I expect the country’s tourism sector to attract around 50 to 60 million domestic tourists over the next few years, instead of last year’s 25 million," Binh said.
Lang Son is located in the Nam Ninh-Lang Son-Ha Noi-Hai Phong-Quang Ninh economic corridor development plan.
Two border gates
The province has two international border gates (Huu Nghi land border gate and Dong Dang railway border gate), two national border gates (Chi Ma and Binh Nghi), and seven small frontier markets, noted Hua Hanh, deputy Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee.
"Lang Son is growing as a place of goods exchange, and a trade centre between Viet Nam and China, and other Central Asian and Eastern European countries.
"In 2008, the Prime Minister signed a decision to establish the Economic Zone of Dong Dang-Lang Son Border Gate as well as regulations on its operation with open investment policies and flexible management mechanisms, offering Lang Son new development opportunities," Hanh said.
Hoang Van Pao, director of the provincial department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said Lang Son also had considerable sightseeing potential with sites like the Tam Thanh cave, a Mac dynasty citadel, To Thi and Mau Son mountains and the Tien pagoda.
Investment needs
The provincial department of Planning and Investment introduced at the conference several projects needing investment, including a trade centre and an international trade fair centre.
The department also plans to build a resort on the banks of the Na Tam Lake. The project aims to create an integrated zone for ecotourism and entertainment, including a five-star resort with 200 rooms, offering high quality services.
Two other ecotourism zones planned are the Mau Son Tourism Zone in the northeast and the Deo Giang-Van Vi Tourism Zone in the south of Lang Son City