Elevating tourism products from cultural values

Quang Ninh is considered a miniature Vietnam, not only rich in natural resources, but also rich in ethnic communities and unique traditional cultures. All of these create a land of Quang Ninh with a diverse culture and rich identity. The cultural quintessence that has been nurtured and formed over many generations is always cherished, preserved, promoted, and becomes an invaluable resource for tourism development. In particular, this is a strong source of support for the strategy of making Quang Ninh a key tourism service center of the whole country.

Inspiration for new tourism products

Identifying the role of culture in socio -economic development, the tourism industry has made cultural tourism products one of the most important product lines, thereby creating a foundation for units and businesses to boldly research and invest. Following that orientation, recently, the live show "Finding the Pearl" at Ngoc Rong Cave (Cam Pha City) has brought a "new breeze" to Quang Ninh cultural tourism. This is the first show in the region to be held right in the heart of a natural cave, combining modern multimedia stage technology with the pristine and majestic beauty of nature. The unique performance space with the harmony of light, sound, performance art and culinary elements has created a completely new tourism product, rich in culture and full of experiences.

The live show "Finding the Pearl" at Ngoc Rong Cave (Cam Pha City) brings many impressive emotions to visitors.

Sharing about the program, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen The Ky commented: Hang Ngoc Rong is a unique stage. The combination of this special stage with unique traditional cultural performing arts not only contributes to enhancing natural heritages but also creates an attractive tourism product. Regarding the live show "Finding the Pearl", I think it is a program that attracts domestic and international tourists. Thereby, contributing to promoting tourism, the image of Quang Ninh and Vietnam as well as building a cultural industry.

To create this unique tourism product, APC Corporation has invested heavily in renovating and upgrading facilities, lighting systems, sound systems, and pathways in the cave to ensure the best experience for visitors, while preserving the maximum value of the natural heritage. This renovation includes: Dismantling unsuitable structures, adding ventilation systems, trees, lighting, and auxiliary areas moved outside the cave, limiting the number of people entering the cave below the permitted level.

Along with the live show "Finding the Pearl", many cultural tourism products of Quang Ninh are also loved by domestic and foreign tourists. One of them is the San Diu Ethnic Culture and Tourism Village (Van Don district). Van Don is a land that preserves many unique traditional cultural features, from cuisine, costumes, Soong Co singing art, Dai Phan festival and wedding ceremonies, ancestor worship of the San Diu people. The highlight of the cultural village is the area displaying traditional costumes, wedding ceremonies, festivals, beliefs and typical handicrafts of the San Diu people. Special ceremonies, such as: Wedding ceremony, Dai Phan ceremony with knife climbing rituals, Hanh Quang dance are all vividly recreated through a system of 1.1 scale statues, sound, light and modern touch screens. Since its establishment in late December 2024, thousands of visitors have come to visit.

Tourists watch water puppetry at Yen Duc Village Tourist Area (Dong Trieu City).

In addition, tourist attractions such as Yen Duc Village Tourist Area (Dong Trieu City) attract visitors with the rustic, simple scenery typical of the countryside in the Northern region. In particular, Yen Duc Village Tourist Area also bears the mark of a revolutionary countryside with historical and cultural relics such as Dong Thoc Mountain, Con Chuot Mountain, Con Meo Mountain, Canh Mountain, Hang 7, Canh Huong Pagoda... Not only enjoying the peaceful and quiet natural scenery of a purely agricultural village, coming to Yen Duc, visitors can also experience the daily life of farmers with activities such as: Growing vegetables, milling rice, pounding rice, tying straw brooms, catching fish in bamboo baskets, watching water puppetry, enjoying dishes imbued with the flavor of the homeland, learning about the customs, culture and life of local people.

The heroic historical development process with the country has left Quang Ninh with more than 630 historical - cultural relics and scenic spots. These relics have been inventoried, classified and ranked, including 6 special national relic sites and about 150 national and provincial relics. Along with that are hundreds of intangible cultural heritages of all kinds, of which 7 have been included in the list of national intangible cultural heritages. The Then practice heritage of the Tay, Nung, Thai people in Vietnam, including the Then ritual of the Tay people in Binh Lieu, has been recognized as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Quang Ninh also owns about 120 traditional cultural and historical festivals, many of which have been newly developed into annual cultural products, both preserving cultural heritage and creating unique cultural products, such as: Ha Long Carnival, cherry blossoms - Yen Tu yellow apricot blossoms, so flowers, yellow tea flowers... From cultural and historical values, Quang Ninh's unique tourism products have also been born, imbued with the colors of the Mining Region, such as: "A day as a fisherman at sea", "Discovering Quan Lan", "Discovering Coc Dao Ha Nam", "Journey following the footsteps of Buddha at Yen Tu"... which are very popular with tourists.

To let cultural tourism grow

According to a survey and assessment by experts from the World Tourism Organization, in recent years, most countries and destinations, especially those with developing tourism in the Asia-Pacific region, have been gradually adjusting their product strategy orientation, focusing more on investing in developing and promoting cultural tourism. Typical successes include China, South Korea, Indonesia, etc. South Korea has introduced cultural values such as museums and art exhibitions combined with digital transformation to bring new experiences of culture and works of art.

One of the important driving forces that make countries make the above decision is the increasing trend of international visitors from potential tourism markets who are interested in and prefer to visit tourist destinations associated with cultural tourism products. According to statistics, it is estimated that the proportion of international visitors visiting and experiencing cultural tourism products always accounts for about 40% of the total number of visitors. This proportion can even be larger depending on the number of cultural tourism resources that the destination possesses.

Identifying the role of culture in socio-economic development, the tourism industry has made cultural tourism products one of the leading important product lines promoted for development in the Vietnam Tourism Development Strategy to 2030 as well as the Vietnam Tourism Product Development Strategy to 2025, with a vision to 2030. Cultural tourism is also one of the 12 cultural industries identified in the Vietnam Cultural Industries Development Strategy to 2020, with a vision to 2030.

In particular, in April 2023, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 2767/QD-BVHTTDL approving the Project on building a national brand for cultural tourism. Accordingly, the Vietnamese cultural tourism brand is positioned based on unique cultural values, focusing on heritage values and culinary cultural values, thereby forming a system of destinations and typical tourism products with high quality and value and being positively received by the market.

Ha Long Carnival Festival creates a unique cultural tourism brand for Quang Ninh province.

In order for Quang Ninh tourism to keep up with the trend, maximize its potential and advantages, create unique tourism products; link tourism development with the preservation and promotion of national cultural values and identities, on May 24, 2013, the Quang Ninh Provincial Party Committee issued Resolution No. 07-NQ/TU "On Quang Ninh tourism development in the period 2013-2020, with a vision to 2030". This was followed by a series of motivational decisions, contributing to raising cultural tourism to become an important element in the heritage economy and concretizing it through activities: Cultural tourism, handicrafts, developing services associated with heritage, and heritage conservation.

In particular, Resolution 17-NQ/TU (dated October 30, 2023) of the Provincial Party Committee "On building and promoting cultural values and human strength of Quang Ninh to become endogenous resources and driving forces for rapid and sustainable development" identifies nature, culture and people as three pillars for sustainable development. In the period of 2018-2022, Quang Ninh province has issued many policies and plans, allocating adequate resources commensurate with the province's budget revenue for cultural investment with nearly 4,800 billion VND.

Chinese famtrip delegation visited San Diu Ethnic Culture and Tourism Village, Binh Dan Commune, Van Don District, December 2024.

According to Mr. Nguyen Lam Nguyen, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Quang Ninh is oriented to develop the cultural industry, turning culture into a potential market, aiming at "cultural export" to contribute to promoting sustainable economic development. In the immediate future, the province will continue to exploit its strengths and cultural potential in terms of landscape, traditional values, regional cuisine, further promoting the development of the tourism industry to be able to compete with countries in the region and the world; selecting and perfecting local dishes, especially OCOP products, elevating them to the level of art from production to enjoyment, connecting them to tourist destinations and aiming at exporting traditional regional cuisine. The province encourages production activities, promoting intangible cultural forms, valuable handicrafts, fine arts, souvenirs with cultural messages expressing unique characteristics, serving the development of the province's service and tourism economy. At the same time, build a long-term strategy focusing on developing the cultural industry in the fields of: Cinema, performing arts, fashion, music, fine arts, exhibitions, cuisine, entertainment services... creating momentum for the development of tourism types.

In addition, focus on ensuring effective coordination between preserving and promoting cultural and artistic values in the tourism sector; pay attention to and receive appropriate investment in locations with world heritage sites, special national monuments, museums, theaters, film centers, and traditional craft villages. Focus on promoting communication, using communication to promote the land, people, cultural and artistic products of Quang Ninh to the world. Through communication to call for investment in preserving and exploiting cultural projects, introducing cultural products of Quang Ninh abroad, attracting cultural events and exhibitions of world-famous brands to organize in Quang Ninh. At the same time, aim to improve the quality of tourism human resources, develop in quantity, especially for management personnel, tour guides, interpreters and personnel directly serving tourists, ensuring the quality of tourism vocational training according to national and international standards.

With a methodical and specific strategy, the determination of the entire political system, and the synchronous implementation of solutions to develop culture and tourism in an inter-regional, inter-regional, and inter-national direction, Quang Ninh strives to become a regional cultural and artistic center; a leading attractive destination for regional cultural heritage tourism.

Hoang Quynh

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/nang-tam-san-pham-du-lich-tu-gia-tri-van-hoa-3363459.html