Attending the event were Cherie Anne Russell, Counsellor for Development Cooperation at the Australian Embassy in Vietnam; the GREAT 2 Project Management Consulting contractor; representatives from several departments and sectors, the provincial Tourism Association, the People's Committees of districts and Son La city, various businesses and cooperatives operating in the tourism sector.

At the workshop, representatives of the project gave an overview of the results of the first phase; and goals and roadmap for the second phase. Accordingly, during the first phase from 2017-2022, many creative solutions were applied to build and develop the market system in the agricultural and tourism sectors, aiming to increase the economic empowerment of women, especially those from ethnic minority groups.

As the number of foreign tourists to the province remains modest and many of them choose Moc Chau as their destination, the consulting contractor recommended priorities for the project, including infrastructure development to make surrounding districts and areas more accessible; improving the quality and diversity of accommodation facilities to enhance visitors’ experience; developing environmentally friendly adventure tourism like forest trekking and cycling to attract more tourist segments; and focusing on preserving the culture of Son La.

Delegates discussed the current state of tourism in the province, and discussed priorities for the next 15 months and the overall plan of the project’s second phase, including expanding cultural tourism opportunities, developing local infrastructure, and improving human resources and service quality and accommodations.

In the second phase, the project looks to integrate more tourism activities and continues effective models from the first phase, such as developing flax, bamboo shoots, rice and others to sustain their success and then scale them up. Over 15,000 women, with 70% being ethnic minorities, are expected to benefit from GREAT 2 Son La through access to services such as market information, agricultural promotion, quality input materials, finance and credit.