Attending the conference were members of the Standing group and Supporting Team of the Steering Committee for the Tourism development cooperation group of the Eight Expanded Northwestern Provinces and Ho Chi Minh City; representatives from Investment, Trade and Tourism promotion centers; Tourism promotion centers; and Tourism associations of the expanded Northwestern provinces and Ho Chi Minh City.

Overview of the conference

In the first half of the year, the tourism development cooperation program between the eight expanded Northwestern provinces and Ho Chi Minh City continued to receive close attention and guidance from the People's Committees of the participating provinces and city. This was demonstrated through the issuance of implementation plans, appropriate budget allocations based on local conditions, and directives for organizing and participating in joint activities, which were carried out on schedule and with effective results. Thanks to proactive and effective advisory efforts in implementing various measures, the cooperation program among the provinces and city has seen growth in tourism. There has been a strengthened focus on developing new tourism products and improving the quality of services associated with regional tourism brands of the eight expanded Northwestern provinces.

Tourism promotion and marketing efforts have been continuously renewed, with a series of prominent events organized to vividly showcase the land, culture, and people of the eight expanded Northwestern provinces and Ho Chi Minh City. These activities have effectively highlighted the region’s potential, strengths, and attractive destinations to both domestic and international tourists and investors. The application of digital transformation in tourism promotion has been strongly advanced, resulting in a significant increase in the number of posts across digital platforms and social media compared to previous years.

Thanks to the proactive efforts of the participating provinces, in the first half of the year, the total number of visitors to the eight expanded Northwestern provinces and Ho Chi Minh City exceeded 40.9 million, a 4% increase compared to the same period in 2024, reaching 45.92% of the annual plan. Total tourism revenue surpassed VND 135 trillion. Of this, the eight expanded Northwestern provinces welcomed nearly 22.7 million visitors—accounting for 55.5% of the total—generating over VND 37 trillion in revenue. Ho Chi Minh City received more than 18 million visitors, representing 44.5% of the total, with revenue nearing VND 98 trillion.

At the conference, delegates discussed and contributed feedback on the draft plan for tourism development cooperation among the eight expanded Northwestern provinces and Ho Chi Minh City for the second half of the year and for 2026. They also outlined directions for cooperation during the 2026–2030 period. Key topics included: cooperation planning following the administrative restructuring at the provincial level; international tourism cooperation; development of new inter-provincial tourism products; joint efforts in tourism promotion, OCOP product marketing, and local agricultural product distribution; and the organization of the 2025 Essence of the Northwest – Dien Bien Festival.

Duong Quan

Translated by Huyen Vu