Leveraging ethnic cultural values to bolster economic growth and tourism development

BHG - Ha Giang Province is home to nearly 20 ethnic groups, creating a unique cultural background.

In recent years, Ha Giang has actively promoted its ethnic cultural heritage as a competitive advantage for development, especially in tourism. The local ethnic communities of Mong, Dao, Tay, and Lo Lo have promoted their cultural values through festivals and cultural events such as the Khau Vai Love Market, the Buckwheat Flower Festival, the Khen (panpipe) Festival, the fire dance festival, and the moon worshipping ritual.

The province boasts 131 tangible cultural heritages and 446 intangible cultural heritages, alongside three national treasures and 61 ranked historical-cultural relics, which significantly enhance its tourism appeal.

According to Nguyen Thi Hoai, Acting Director of the Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ha Giang has placed ethnic culture at the core in the establishment of its tourism product development strategy (2021-2025, with a vision towards 2030).

The province features 40 exemplary community-based cultural tourism villages, such as Nam Dam (Quan Ba District), Pa Vi (Meo Vac District), and Lo Lo Chai (Dong Van District).

Tha Village of Phuong Do Commune, Ha Giang City, was recognised as a typical cultural tourism village associated with the One Commune One Product (OCOP) Programme.

Various forms of tourism including spiritual tourism and adventure sports such as car racing, paragliding, kayaking, and trekking have been organised. The majestic landscapes of the Karst Plateau and terraced fields along with the beauty of culture and ethnic cuisine have attracted visitors from nearly 200 countries and territories worldwide.

 In 2024, Ha Giang welcomed approximately 3.286 million visitors, generating over 8.149 trillion VND in tourism revenue. The province was named Asia's Leading Emerging Tourism Destination in 2023 and Asia's Leading Regional Cultural Destination in 2024.

The growth of tourism has facilitated the successful marketing of local products such as honey, tea, oranges, medicinal herbs, and handicrafts in international markets. Tourism has created numerous job opportunities for locals, with annual incomes ranging from tens to hundreds of millions of VND. The provincial GRDP growth rate for 2024 reached around 7%.

Ha Giang is also implementing sustainable tourism policies that focus on preserving traditional crafts, festivals, and folk arts while eliminating outdated customs, following the Resolution 27.

The Ha Giang Development Plan for 2021-2030 with a vision for 2025 aims to position tourism as a key economic sector with a focus on distinctive and high-quality offerings. During the provincial Cultural Conference in 2023, local leaders emphasised the need to enhance the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage linked to socio-economic development and marketing efforts to establish Ha Giang as a sustainable tourism model where nature, culture, and people thrive together.

HUY TOAN