Potential goes hand in hand with challenges

Lam Binh has a forest coverage rate of over 80%; There are overlapping limestone mountains surrounding the vast and magnificent valleys. In particular, along with Na Hang district, Lam Binh has an ecological lake of over 8,000 hectares (the lake is located in two districts of Na Hang - Lam Binh). In addition, the district has many beautiful landscapes and landscapes: National scenic spot 99 Thuong Lam mountains; mountain landscape of Khuon Ha, Lang Can, Tho Binh; spectacular waterfalls such as Nam Me, Khuoi Nhi, Khuoi Gun.

These are potentials for Lam Binh to develop eco-tourism, discovery tourism and community tourism. To create a breakthrough in tourism development in the locality, since the beginning of 2016, Lam Binh has started to pilot the model of community tourism at 4 sites, with 15 households participating; The district set up a working group, assigning specific tasks to each member in charge of each household, directly guiding and helping households in building the model; organize for households to visit, learn experience in doing community tourism in Ha Giang, Hoa Binh and Thai Nguyen provinces.

Tourists come to stay at Homestay of Mr. Chuu Xuan Viet's family, Nam Dip village.
Lang Can commune (Lam Binh). Photo: Hai Huong

However, for many years, with the goal to promote and attract tourists near and far, Lam Binh as well as many localities fell into a state of free and wasted tourism resources. Although the number of tourists coming to the locality has continuously increased, in 2016, the number of tourists coming to the district was only over 13,500 people, in the following years, the number of tourists continuously increased, in 2017 it was 35,000 arrivals. ; in 2018 45,000 visitors and in 2019 doubled the number of visitors last year, over 90,000, but the revenue is still quite modest. According to the Culture and Information Department, social revenue in 2019 reached over 54 billion VND. This figure, if calculated service revenue is even more limited, because tourists only use Homestay services, boats, meals, while spending on souvenirs is almost very little.

Restructuring

Mr. Hoang Van Thuc, Head of Culture and Information Department of Lam Binh district said that in 2020, Lam Binh strives to welcome over 100,000 tourists. In particular, according to calculations, only the number of tourists coming to the district at the beginning of the year to organize the Tong Tong Festival is over 15,000 turns. However, this year, like many other localities, Lam Binh canceled the plan to organize the festival to prevent the Covid-19 epidemic, the number of tourists coming to the district at the beginning of the year did not achieve the desired effect. But according to Secretary of the District Party Committee, Chairman of the District People's Committee Nguyen Van Dung, this is an opportunity for the district to restructure this economic sector.

At the beginning of 2020, the District People's Committee develops a district tourism development plan in 2020. The focus is on developing telecommunications infrastructure in the Na Hang - Lam Binh ecological area; promote the attraction of businesses and economic sectors to invest, exploit and develop the district's tourism types with potential and advantages. At the same time, complete "Project on building cultural villages associated with tourism in Na Tong village, Thuong Lam commune; Nam Dip village, Lang Can commune" and Restoration, preserving traditional culture, rituals and traditional crafts of the Pa Then ethnic group. According to Head of Culture and Information Office Hoang Van Thuc, at the beginning of 2020, the district has installed cameras right in Ben Thuy area (Thuong Lam), connecting to the district website, tourists will be granted the right Free access to the camera and get panoramic images of tourism in the hydroelectric lake area. In the long term, the district will work with relevant units so that visitors can access it through the province's website and related tourism websites. Thus, it will increase the persuasion for guests who want to learn and come to the locality. Along with promotion, the district will organize events such as Lam Binh Cultural Tourism Festival in Hanoi, thereby, changing the "state" of attracting tourists from passive to active.

The residential area of ​​Ban Khien village, Lang Can commune is currently being built into a complex cultural service area, associated with a pedestrian street. According to Secretary of the Party Committee of Lang Can commune Ma Ngoc Truong, tourists coming to Lang Can, in addition to experiencing the Homestay Nam Dip service, will be able to participate in cultural and sports activities, and build souvenir shops. with local traditional products such as embroidery, knitting, local specialty agricultural products... The commune expects these solutions will increase the interaction between locals and tourists, and at the same time, have more products for customers to "withdraw their wallets", increasing income for local people.

Secretary of the District Party Committee, Chairman of Lam Binh District People's Committee Nguyen Van Dung said that if in the previous period, in the economic structure of the district, it was to attract resources for infrastructure development - agriculture - tourism, in the term of office, Mr. In the future, Lam Binh determines that the structure will be transformed into tourism - agriculture and infrastructure. This change will complete the goal of making the tourism economy a spearhead economic sector of this locality.

According to Tuyen Quang Online