Son La develops safe and attractive tourism

Effectively leveraging its potential and advantages for tourism development, in recent years, Son La province has continued to affirm its status as a safe and attractive destination in the northwestern region of Vietnam, drawing both domestic and international visitors.

 

The Dai Yem waterfall eco-tourism site in Moc Chau district.

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.

Touring the Son La hydropower reservoir in Quynh Nhai district.

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.

Experiencing community culture at the Moc Chau Island Tourist Site.

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.

Preserving culture associated with developing tourism in Van Ho district.

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.

Comment

You have 500/500 characters left

Please enter 5 or more characters!!!

Maybe you are interested

Recent news

  • 'Long Phieng promotes effectiveness of collective economy

    Long Phieng promotes effectiveness of collective economy

    BUSINESS -
    From specialised longan-growing areas to high-tech plum orchards, cooperatives in Long Phieng are affirming their role as the driving force behind production linkages, enhancing the value of agricultural products, and creating sustainable livelihoods for local people. These efforts contribute to the development of a modern and sustainable agricultural economy.
  • 'Son La steps up traffic law education for students during summer break

    Son La steps up traffic law education for students during summer break

    SOCIETY -
    The Traffic Police Division under the provincial Department of Public Security, in coordination with commune- and ward-level police, on June 19 simultaneously held a road traffic safety awareness and legal education programme for nearly 2,500 students and teachers at secondary and high schools, as well as residents across the province.
  • 'Son La diversifies night tourism experiences

    Son La diversifies night tourism experiences

    TOURISM -
    If Son La captivates visitors during the day with its lush tea hills, vibrant flower seasons, and majestic natural landscapes, then at night, travellers are immersed in the unique cultural activities of the province's ethnic communities. Under sparkling lights, graceful xoe dances, the resonant sounds of khen (panpipe), and community cultural exchange activities create a colourful nighttime atmosphere. Each experience offers a journey into local life, customs, and traditional cultural values that have been preserved through generations, contributing to Son La's distinctive appeal.
  • 'Lessons learned before province-wide collection and handover of martyrs’ remains samples

    Lessons learned before province-wide collection and handover of martyrs’ remains samples

    NEWS - POLITICS -
    The provincial Steering Committee for the search for, recovery and identification of martyrs’ remains held a meeting on June 15 to review lessons learned ahead of the province-wide collection and handover of samples of fallen soldiers' remains. Colonel Sa Minh Nghĩa, Political Commissar of the provincial Military Command and standing deputy head of the steering committee, chaired the event.
  • 'Son La brings agricultural products into digital space

    Son La brings agricultural products into digital space

    BUSINESS -
    Son La province currently has more than 85,000 hectares of fruit trees, with an annual output of over 500,000 tonnes. Alongside the expansion of production scale, increasing attention is being paid to finding stable markets and improving product value. The application of technology and e-commerce to bring agricultural products into the digital space, from livestreaming to introduce products to developing online stores and sales channels on social media, is becoming a new direction for local agricultural sale.
  • ' Volunteers in blue power exam season

    Volunteers in blue power exam season

    SOCIETY -
    As each exam season arrives, the blue shirts of youth and student volunteers once again become a familiar sight at test venues across the country, standing alongside candidates and their parents to provide support. During this year’s national high school graduation exam, the image of energetic and dedicated volunteers has continued to resonate, underscoring the pioneering and volunteering spirit of Vietnam’s younger generation in serving the community.
  • 'Son La speeds up disbursement of public investment for 2026

    Son La speeds up disbursement of public investment for 2026

    NEWS - POLITICS -
    Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Minh Tien chaired a hybrid meeting on June 11 on the disbursement of public investment capital for 2026. The event saw the presence of leaders of provincial departments, agencies and sectors, and was connected online to communes and wards with assigned public investment plans for this year.
  • 'Gia Phu preserves colours of traditional brocade

    Gia Phu preserves colours of traditional brocade

    SOCIETY -
    For generations, the traditional brocade weaving craft has been closely tied to the daily life of the Thai and Muong ethnic communities in Gia Phu commune. Beyond preserving the distinctive cultural values of these ethnic groups, brocade products have now been diversified in design to meet market demand, helping to create jobs and improve incomes for local residents.
  • 'DNA samples taken to identify fallen soldiers' remains at To Hieu Martyrs' Cemetery

    DNA samples taken to identify fallen soldiers' remains at To Hieu Martyrs' Cemetery

    SOCIETY -
    The steering committees for the search for, recovery and identification of martyrs’ remains of Military Region 2 and Son La province, and To Hieu ward on June 11 jointly organised DNA sample collection for the identification of fallen soldiers’ remains at the ward Martyrs’ Cemetery. This move forms part of the nationwide 500-day campaign to accelerate the effort.
Load more