Son La province holds a vital position as a hub in Vietnam’s northwestern region and a gateway connecting Hanoi and the Red River Delta provinces with the Northwest and northern Laos. The province is rich in tourism resources, featuring a cool climate, majestic mountains, and diverse cultural straits of 12 ethnic groups. It boasts 17 national intangible cultural heritages, including the Thai xoe dance, recognised by UNESCO as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity, alongside 64 ranked historical and cultural relic sites.

Notably, the Moc Chau National Tourist Area has been recognized as the "World’s Leading Regional Nature Destination" by the World Travel Awards. The Son La hydropower reservoir area is included in the national tourism planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2045. These are advantages for Son La to focus its resources on developing tourism.

Son La now has one national tourist area, one provincial tourist area, and 10 provincial tourist sites. The province has formed five main tourism product groups, including ecotourism and agriculture; cultural and historical tourism; community tourism; resort, entertainment, and wellness tourism; and themed tourism.

The tourism picture is becoming increasingly bright as localities within the province have focused on developing distinctive tourism products. The Moc Chau National Tourist Area features many popular sites such as the Moc Chau Island Tourist Site, the high-end Ang hamlet pine forest resort, Dai Yem waterfall, the Moc Chau pedestrian street and night market, Hang Mieng temple and a system of waterfalls in Van Ho district.

In Son La city, there are Tay Bac (Northwest) Square and the Son La Prison National Special Relic Site. Yen Chau district has the National Special Relic of the Vietnam-Laos Revolutionary Base in Lao Kho hamlet. Mai Son district features the historical site of Co Noi Junction, while Phu Yen district is home to the historical site marking the resistance war against French colonialism in the Nhot hamlet forest.

Other tourist attractions include the Pha Din Pass in Thuan Chau district, the Son La hydropower reservoir tourism area in Quynh Nhai district, and the Ta Xua tourism area in Bac Yen district.

Son La’s tourism has been actively promoted through various tourism promotion events and activities, such as the “Colours of Son La - Northwest” tourism event in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, cultural tourism festivals in Laos’ Luang Prabang and Houaphanh provinces, the Miss Tourism World pageant, the Son La culture and tourism festival themed “Son La – World’s Leading Regional Nature Destination”, a festival showcasing Vietnamese fruit and OCOP products, the Son La Coffee Festival, a programme to promote and announce a decision recognizing the Moc Chau National Tourist Area, and events to promonte Son La as a safe, attractive, and unique destination in the northwestern region.

The province has paid attention to digital transformation and the application of 4.0 technology in tourism development. It has created digital maps, developed smart tourism, digitalized tourist sites and spots like the Moc Chau National Tourist Area, and designed 360-degree virtual reality tours such as that of the Son La Prison Special National Relic Site.

Thanks to its natural beauty and right directions regarding tourism development, Son La has welcomed over 12 million visitors since 2021, generating 12.6 trillion VND (512 million) in tourism revenue, with a growth rate of 13% per year. Local tourism continues to shine, making Son La become a safe and attractive destination along the travel route through northwestern Vietnam.