Thanh Hoa aims to attract more tourists from RoK

The north central province of Thanh Hoa has organised various activities to promote its tourism to international markets, including the Republic of Korea (RoK), with the aim of spread its image as a four-season tourist destination.

A popular check-in place in Pu Luong, Thanh Hoa. (Photo: VNA)

Among its major markets such as Japan, the RoK, China and Thailand, Thanh Hoa has paid special attention to the RoK – a leading partner of the province for years.

Pham Duc Tri, Vice Director of the province's Centre for Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion, said that the RoK currently has the highest number of 37 investment projects in Thanh Hoa, and ranked second among foreign investors in terms of investment capital with about 1.62 billion USD, accounting for 26.5 percent of the total foreign-invested projects and 11 percent of total foreign direct investment (FDI) in the province.

Korean-funded projects in Thanh Hoa have been effective, making positive contributions to speeding up the industrial and handicraft development in the province, creating jobs and increasing the local budget’s revenue, said Tri.

Meanwhile, Vice Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Vuong Thi Hai Yen said that tourist attractions in Thanh Hoa have been popular among Korean tourists. In order to continue to attract more visitors from the RoK, Thanh Hoa will actively join more tourism promotion events in the RoK in the time to come.

In September, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism will organise a programme to introduce Vietnamese tourism in the RoK. Thanh Hoa will take advantage of the event to further popularise its tourism in the country by directly join the programme or sending publications and typical products to the event to introduce the province’s tourism potential, she said.

This year, Thanh Hoa will coordinate closely with the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and the Vietnamese Tourism Ambassador in the RoK to organise activities to set up connections with Korean partners and hold famtrips for them in Thanh Hoa, Yen said.

Thanh Hoa is seen as one of the localities with huge potential for developing tourism on the back of its diverse and rich tourism resources, both natural and human.

Known as a "miniature Vietnam", Thanh Hoa has all kinds of terrain, from mountain, midland, to plain and coast, with many beautiful landscapes and valuable historical – cultural vestiges. At the same time, the province also has a system of infrastructure and technical facilities for tourism that is constantly expanding, gradually improving quality, convenience and modernity.

In recent years, Thanh Hoa has become one of the top cities and provinces in terms of tourism growth nationwide. During the 2016-2019 period, the number of tourist arrivals in the province grew by 15.2 percent annually while tourism revenue rose by 31.7 percent year-on-year, contributing to local socio-economic development.

After COVID-19 was put under good control, Thanh Hoa tourism has bustled again with the reopening of all tourist destinations. The province is creating its image as a safe, friendly and attractive destination. Apart from tourism resources, infrastructure and diverse products, difference is also a highlight, thus prompting visitors to travel to the locality.

Local tourism sector has posted impressive growth in recent years. However, its development is still not commensurate with potential.

Thanh Hoa’s Sam Son beach is a familiar destination for many people. It is home to several hidden charms waiting for tourists to explore, including Van Chai ancient fishing village. The village is busy at dawn as fishermen returning shore with catches and those at home coming to help sort out the fish.

Sam Son town was promoted to a city in 2017, in a move which aims to meet the local urbanisation process and develop Sam Son into a national tourist city.

In addition to the renowned Sam Son beach, Thanh Hoa is home to various charming others, namely Hai Tien in Hoang Hoa district; Tien Trang Quang Xuong in Quang Xuong district; Hai Hoa and Hai Thanh in Tinh Gia; Bai Dong (East Beach); Vinh Son; Quang Nham, and Hai Binh./.

VNA