Despite starting to develop tourism later than some other localities, with the potential described as having both "Sa Pa and Ha Long Bay” in the midst of mountains as well as a typical cultural identity and a new direction, Da Bac district, Hoa Binh province is gradually winning the hearts of travellers.
A high-end and modern resort attractive to tourists in Vay Nua commune, Da Bac district.
At present, though Da Bac has yet to be truly popular on the tourism map of Vietnam, such local names as Sung and Da Bia hamlets, Lord Thac Bo Temple, or some resorts like Mo Village, Vayang Retreat, Maida Lodge, and Xoan Retreat have proved attractive to travel lovers.
Ban Kim Quy, Vice Chairman of the Da Bac People’s Committee, said that instead of rushing to tourism development that may ruin natural landscapes, the district opted to capitalise on its advantages in agriculture, rural areas, culture, and ecological environment. It has shifted from pure agricultural production to agricultural economy connected with developing services and tourism in the vicinity of Hoa Binh Lake so as to gradually improve the quality of residents’ material and spiritual lives.
He noted Da Bac is focusing on equipping locals with tourism skills and, especially, recovering, preserving, and bringing into play ethnic groups’ traditional cultures to sustainably develop tourism and generate high economic benefits.
There are now 30 accommodation establishments across the district, including 18 homestay facilities, 11 hotels, and one two-star hotel. Da Bac welcomed 170,100 tourist arrivals and earned over 80 billion VND (3.1 million USD) in tourism revenue last year. Both figures increased during the first half of 2024 compared to the same period of 2023.
Da Bac targets more than 550,000 visitors and 165 billion VND in tourism revenue in 2025. It looks to raise the respective figures to over 660,000 and 198 billion VND by 2030, Quy added.
Nguyen Van Toan, Standing Vice Chairman of the Hoa Binh provincial People’s Committee, said Hoa Binh Lake spans five district-level localities, of which Da Bac is home to the largest water surface area. The lake has met three of the five criteria for a national tourism area - a status the province hopes to secure by 2030.
Sixteen service, culture, and tourism investment projects in the lake’s vicinity have been licensed or granted investment certificates so far. They cover about 1,444ha of land and have total investment of over 3.3 trillion VND. The projects aim to meet tourism, relaxation, and entertainment demand at the same time with planting and protecting forest and preserving culture.
The provincial administration will strongly direct relevant agencies and sectors to provide maximum procedural assistance for the projects to be carried out on schedule. Besides, authorities will also exert efforts in completing transport, tourism, and communication infrastructure to create momentum for the accommodation system and tourism products to develop quickly and contribute to local growth, Toan remarked.