Efforts to exploit and promote tourism spearhead of Binh Phuoc Vietnam

Published: 11:34 Wednesday - September 21, 2011

Binh Phuoc has great tourism potential, focus on develop tourism by linking Tourism Development with Environmental Protection.

Located between the South East and the Central Highlands, Binh Phuoc has great tourism potential, especially in historical – cultural tourism. At the moment, this potential is gradually being efficiently exploited for tourism industry development, helping to boost the provincial economy. Director Nguyen Quang Toan, Binh Phuoc Department of Culture, Sport & Tourism has shared about local efforts to exploit and promote this tourism spearhead.

Can you briefly describe Binh Phuoc’s potential to develop historical – cultural tourism? How has the province promoted this form of tourism?

Binh Phuoc has rather unique tourism potential such as: Eco-tourism grassland Bau Lach, National Garden Bu Gia Map; cultural – historical vestiges: Mien Ta Thiet Command Base, Entertainment House, Bom Bo hamlet, Loc Ninh Military Airport, mass grave of 3,000 people, Loc Quang Petroleum Depot, Ba Ra Mountain etc. Besides, Binh Phuoc is the residential land of 41 ethnic groups, in which the minorities account for over 20 percent of the population. As a result, the ethnic minority communities’ festivals, food and traditional lifestyles are also regarded as potentials to promote historical – cultural tourism.

To exploit and promote these potentials, for the past time, Binh Phuoc Tourism Industry has coordinated with related ones to consult the Provincial People’s Committee to approve the proposed master plan to promote tourism in 2011 – 2015 and orient toward 2020, in which there are two history – culture related projects: Project Historical Relic and Eco-tourism Site Mien Ta Thiet and Project Preserve Stieng Ethnic Culture in Bom Bo hamlet. It is hoped that when these two projects are completed and put into operation, they will be the centres attracting a large number of tourists in Vietnam travel to visit Binh Phuoc.

Historical and cultural values are the main attractiveness of the province’s tourism products. So what efforts has the province made to preserve and promote these precious values?

To preserve and promote these precious values, in addition to upgrading and restoring relics and festivals which have been lost, tourism industry has taken practical steps in management, preserving and promotional activities. So far, there are nine relics of national ranks and four of provincial rank in the province. These are bases for the province to develop new policies suitable for Vietnam’s orientation “Build up Vietnam culture, modern with charming national cachet”; in which the province aims to preserve the heritage value of the various local ethnic groups, especially the Stieng people. Moreover, we also actively plan, prepare file for cultural heritage and well consult local authority on culture.

To exploit cultural, historical values for tourism development, in the coming time, Binh Phuoc will gather statistics and review all historical and cultural relics, to choose the most appealing, unique sites to systematically plan tours; focusing on the development of high quality, featured tourism products. Meanwhile, the province also coordinates and associates with neighbourhood provinces and cities to form combined programmes between historical, cultural tourism and eco-tourism with inter-regional tours.

In historical and cultural tourism development, attention must also be paid to environmental protection, as cultural tourism values are subject to change under pressure of tourism. How does the Binh Phuoc tourism industry care about this matter?

Natural and social environment is the important factor in tourism development. Each environmental impact will influence tourism activities by both tourists and tourism traders. Aware of this matter, Binh Phuoc province has built up and implemented sustainable tourism development, in which environmental protection is given first priority.

As for natural environment, the field of first investment priority is investment in infrastructure serving tourism development. Environmental impact assessments are conducted comprehensively on tourism investment projects, tourism spots and accommodations. At the same time, management is strengthened by investigating, assisting tourism enterprises to maintain discipline in environmental protection.

Tourism service providers should pay attention to the ethnic origin, gender, age, profession, customs, lifestyle and consuming habits of tourists to best serve them. Serving attitude should be polite, gentle; the content should be detailed and specific, with culture featured prominently.

After all, to sustainably develop tourism, there should be a suitable strategy and plan. Tourism development has to go hand in hand with tourism environmental protection and the participation of local residents and concerned departments, parties to implement tourism environment protection and the management plan.

In the coming time, to increase historical and cultural values, what specific orientations and measures will the province focus on?

The current urgent matter is to invest in tourism infrastructure, with a focus on investing in the Stieng Ethnic Culture Reserve in Bom Bo hamlet. When completed, together with the Eco-tourism Ba Ra – Thac Mo project visit, Historical Relic and Mien Ta Thiet Eco-tourism Command Base, they will make up an important step for the provincial tourism industry. Further investment in relic restoration and upgrading is needed to combine preservation with tourism service, and improve the cultural quality of relics. Besides, the province will also coordinate with concerned departments in the locality and neighbourhood to integrate and combine programmes, protect projects, relics, and nature, and restore and promote festivals, folk cultural activities, and trading craft villages to serve tourism.

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