The Son La hydroelectric project has a reservoir area of 43,760 square kilometers, with a storage capacity of 9.26 billion cubic meters of water. The hydroelectric reservoir area in Son La province spans nearly 4,000 square kilometers in the districts of Quynh Nhai, Thuan Chau, and Muong La, accounting for nearly 30% of the province’s total area. With the mountainous region’s unique geological features, particularly the limestone mountain system that has formed over thousands of years, the Son La Hydroelectric Plant reserves water to flood valleys, hills, and ridges, creating a magnificent natural landscape, which holds great potential for tourism development.

In Quynh Nhai district, tourism development is one of the top three priorities in the district Party Organisation’s socio-economic development orientation in the 2020-2025 term. The district has already established nine tourist destinations offering attractive tourism products such as Uy Phong Bay, Binh Yen Bay, Pauon Ecolakes Ecotourism Area, Heart Island, Da Giang Island, and cultural and spiritual tourism areas. Over the past five years, it has attracted five tourism investment projects, with a total investment of 162 billion VND (6.3 million USD), and welcomed 1.25 million tourists, with a revenue of 600 billion VND.

In Muong La district, where the Son La Hydropower Plant is located, the tourism industry around the reservoir is gradually developing. In addition to the picturesque reservoir landscape, Muong La is home to Nham Chien dam and the Huoi Quang Hydropower Plant, the first underground hydropower plant designed by Vietnam, both of which are attractions. Moreover, the district is known for its hot spring systems, prosperous ethnic minority villages, and a large-scale sturgeon farming area by the Son La Sturgeon JSC. These features contribute to the development of tourism in the Son La Hydropower Plant – the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia.

The development of tourism in the Son La hydroelectric reservoir area is clearly outlined in Conclusion No. 94-KL/TU dated January 23, 2021, by the Son La provincial Party Committee, which sets forth directions for the province’s tourism development until 2025, with a vision toward 2030. The Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has developed various solutions and plans, focusing on implementing a project to develop the Son La hydroelectric reservoir area into a national tourism area in the 2021-2030 period. This project emphasises improving the quality of tourism products; and prioritising unique, novel, and highly competitive products that meet market demands and tourism trends, particularly for the high-end customer segment.

Tran Xuan Viet, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, stated that in 2024, the Son La hydroelectric reservoir was included in the list of potential tourism areas to be developed into a national tourism destination. This is an initial result in the implementation of the project to develop the Son La hydroelectric reservoir area into a national tourism area in the 2021-2030 period, with a focus on developing unique tourism products aligned with the potential and strengths of each locality.

Following the province's directions and the project, Muong La and Quynh Nhai districts have been actively carrying out solutions to develop local tourism, with specific goals set for the 2020-2025 term. Among the notable projects are the project on tourism development in Quynh Nhai district in the 2020-2025 period, which targets 250,000 tourist arrivals annually and tourism revenue of 120 billion VND per year, and another for Muong La district. These lay the foundation for sustainable tourism development in the localities.

Muong La district is encouraging tourism services tied to the region’s hydroelectric reservoir strengths and actively attracting investments for tourism projects. Currently, Muong Trai commune, located in the core of the Muong La reservoir area, has developed basic services, including two floating houses, two homestays, boat tours around the reservoir, and a sturgeon farming area run by Son La Sturgeon JSC. Furthermore, the annual Quynh Nhai Culture, Sports, and Tourism Week celebrates the cultural heritage of the land by the Da River and serves as an event to promote the area to tourists. The district is also actively calling for investment to develop adventure tourism products, such as exploring cliffs and caves.

With strategic orientations, tourism in the Son La hydroelectric reservoir area is gradually developing and yielding positive results. By 2030, the goal is to achieve 50% of the conditions required to have the Son La hydroelectric reservoir officially recognised as a national tourism area, with the status set to be obtained by 2040.