Attending the conference were leaders of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration; leaders of Vietnam Tourism Association; representative leaders of provinces and cities: Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Bac Ninh, Hanoi, Ha Nam, Hai Duong, Nam Dinh, Hung Yen, Thai Binh, Vinh Phuc, Thanh Hoa.

On the Bac Giang province side, attending were member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Secretary of the Party Committee of Bac Giang city Vu Tri Hai; Provincial Party Committee member, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Phan The Tuan; representative leaders of a number of departments and sectors of the province.

Opening the conference, Standing Vice Chairman of People's Committee of Thanh Hoa province Nguyen Van Thi informed that in recent years, Thanh Hoa tourism had always ranked in the leading group of the country in attracting tourists with 12,485 million visitors in 2023. Total tourism revenue reached 24,505 billion VND. In the first quarter of 2024, Thanh Hoa tourism continued to welcome more than 2.54 million visitors, an increase of 10% over the same period, total tourism revenue reached more than 2,408 billion VND.

In the overall success of Thanh Hoa province's tourism industry, there was a very important contribution from the traditional tourist market, accounting for the highest proportion coming from the provinces and cities of the expanded Red River Delta, especially the capital Hanoi and neighboring localities in the Northeast region, including Bac Giang province.

He affirmed that Thanh Hoa province always identified Bac Giang and the expanded Red River Delta provinces and cities as tourism markets playing a leading role in the development strategy and expansion of the customer market of Thanh Hoa tourism. There was still great room for development as Thanh Hoa province had been and would continue to focus on perfecting existing tourism products. At the same time, along with corporations, strategic investors constantly added new high-quality products and services. According to the plan, Thanh Hoa province would organize a series of more than 145 attractive cultural, sports and tourism events throughout 2024, ready to welcome Bac Giang tourists and tourists from other provinces and cities of the expanded Red River Delta.

Speaking at the conference, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Bac Giang province Phan The Tuan said that in recent years, Bac Giang province's leaders had paid great attention to developing tourism in parallel with socio-economic development. Bac Giang had a lot of potential and space to develop tourism with many landscapes and historical relics.

Mr. Phan The Tuan believed that the conference to promote - connect Thanh Hoa tourism development with provinces and cities in the expanded Red River Delta held in Bac Giang would bring positive effects, contributing to promoting tourism growth in the area. At the same time, this was also an opportunity for provinces to connect, exchange experiences, propose solutions for development cooperation, build tours, and link tourism development between Thanh Hoa province and other provinces and cities of the expanded Red River Delta.

He said that close and methodical cooperation in tourism development between Thanh Hoa and other provinces and cities in the Red River Delta was very necessary in the current context. If done well, it would contribute to maximizing the advantages of each locality as well as each type and tour route. Thereby, it would contribute to creating a colorful and highlighted tourism picture, gradually turning tourism into a key economic sector, bringing many contributions to the development and sustainable growth of each province and city.

Bac Giang province hoped that through the conference, localities, businesses and investors in the tourism industry value chain would interact, exchange and share experiences on difficulties, obstacles and policies to attract and develop tourism, establish cooperative relationships, propose solutions to promote connectivity and promote tourism development. Provinces and cities in the expanded Red River Delta region and Thanh Hoa province would increasingly develop business cooperation and tourism investment programs and projects in both quality and quantity.

Speaking at the conference, Director of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration Nguyen Trung Khanh proposed that Thanh Hoa province and the provinces in the expanded Red River Delta region focus on researching and implementing specific activities and establishing specific activities responding to the "Vietnamese people travel to Vietnam - Vietnam I love" campaign being deployed in localities by the Vietnam National Tourism Administration.

Cooperate in building and introducing linked packages to stimulate domestic tourism. Build incentives and product packages at reasonable costs, increasing tourist experience. Actively coordinate to carry out destination promotion activities, step by step with the Vietnam National Tourism Administration to participate in advertising and promotion abroad to attract international visitors.

Survey and invest in developing tourism products suitable for different groups of tourists. Select and build products so that localities can expand their links. In particular, provinces would find and focus on exploiting different cultural values ​​in tourism development.

He requested associations and businesses to link more closely, develop a chain of innovative, high-quality tourism products, integrate many amenities and more interesting experiences for tourists. Implement effectively and substantially the signed cooperation agreements.

Localities shall develop policies to support tourism businesses in building unique tourism programs, creating brands for destinations, attracting tourists and potential investors; fostering and developing tourism human resources. Promote the application of information technology, digital transformation, build a connected digital platform, and develop a smart tourism ecosystem.

At the conference, Tourism Association of Thanh Hoa province signed a tourism development cooperation agreement with the Tourism Association of the expanded Red River Delta provinces and cities.

Also at the conference, delegates heard the discussion on tourism products and newest services in Thanh Hoa province from representatives of Thanh Hoa province and tourism, travelling and resort companies./.