Efforts to turn tourism into a leading economic sector in Quang Tri Town

With many famous historical-revolutionary sites and beautiful natural landscapes, Quang Tri Town has favorable conditions to boost tourism.

Quang Trị Town in the central province of the same name has been making its best efforts to overcome difficulties and implement various solutions to unlock its potential, thereby creating jobs, increasing local income and promoting its socio-economic development.

Tourists visit Quang Tri Ancient Citadel - Photo by: Duy Hung

As the southern economic and cultural center of the province, Quang Tri Town boasts multiple noted relics, such as Quang Tri Ancient Citadel, Bo De School’s remnants, Nghia Trung Burial Mound, Ceremony House-Flower Dropping Wharfs on the north and south banks of Thach Han River.

In addition, natural attractions here include the Thach Han River itself, Hai Le Spillway and others. These locations can form tourist routes with nearby monuments and sights in the province, like the Memorial House to General Secretary Le Duan, Our Lady of La Vang Pilgrimage Center, Cua Viet Beach and Ba Long Military Zone.

Thanks to these, trade in services here is relatively developed, accounting for a high proportion of the local socio-economic total. However, in the general context of development with growing tourism demand, new travel trends, and tourists seeking innovative and eco-friendly products, what the town currently offers still falls short of expectations.

"The Resolution of the Quang Tri Town Party Congress of the 2020-2025 term identifies tourism development as one of the town’s central tasks and breakthroughs. To realize the goal, Quang Tri Town has made many efforts to mobilize resources to invest in infrastructure for socio-economic and tourism development.

Tourism products have been innovated and gradually diversified. Accommodation establishments, entertainment venues, restaurants, and related services have also been provided favorable conditions.

At the same time, [the town] has encouraged the timely and effective implementation of the Party’s guidelines, State policies and laws, as well as directions from the provincial People’s Committee and Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism on local tourism.

"Every year, the town organizes and participates in travel fairs and exhibitions held inside and outside the province to promote the town’s image. The enhancement of human resources for tourism development receives special attention. The promotion of tourism via the media from the town level to the grassroots is implemented properly", said Quang Tri Town People’s Committee Vice Chairman Le Phuong Bac.

Based on the town’s historical advantages, many gratitude-based tourism programs and festivals have been held, such as Nostalgia for Old Battlefields and Comrades or Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) tours. As a result, the number of visitors to the town has constantly increased in recent years, resulting in an annual average of over 200,000 to Quang Tri Ancient Citadel, the Ceremony House, and the Thach Han River’s Flower Dropping Wharfs.

In particular, a walking street program has been organized since 2018, with each season featuring about 40 booths, including 20 culinary booths and 20 commercial booths with various items. They have basically satisfied visitors' needs, created a festive atmosphere, and introduced the land, people and tourism of Quang Tri Town.

Besides the booths, the walking street offers entertaining activities like street music, Bai Choi, stilt walking, or folk games. The Flower Lantern Night Festival, which pays tribute to the heroic martyrs on Thach Han River, has been held more than 100 times since 2012 on a total socialized budget of more than VND1.2 billion, pulling in 1,000-1,500 participants. It is not simply a gratitude-based event but has become a tourism product unique to the town and one of the activities that hand down revolutionary traditions to the younger generation.

To create new tourism products in the following years, the town has surveyed and piloted a tourist route on the Thach Han River and links between tourist spots. So far, it has completed the contents and itineraries for as well as pilotted tours connecting relic sites in the area and surrounding areas (Quang Tri Ancient Citadel-Bell Tower-Ceremony House-Nghia Trung Burial Ground-Memorial House to General Secretary Le Duan; Bo De School-Mai Quoc Ca Platoon’s Monument-Our Lady of La Vang Pilgrimage Center), initially producing positive outcomes.

Since July 2022, the town has coordinated with the provincial Tourism Association and Quang Tri Travel Association on an experiential night tour involving the two destinations of Quang Tri Ancient Citadel and Ceremony House - Flower Dropping Wharf on the south bank of Thach Han River.

The town People’s Committee has utilized capital support from the central and provincial levels as well as stepped up socialization to invest in infrastructure, urban beautification projects and transport systems to develop trade in services and tourism. The number of establishments in the two sectors has increased significantly to 2,756 in the whole town. In 2022 alone, the local total revenue budget was around VND272,659 million, equivalent to 126% of the estimate.

Le Phuong Bac added: "In the coming time, the town will continue to raise awareness of tourism development, improve the efficiency and quality of existing tourism products based on the local advantages, including the “Flower Lantern Night” program, the walking street and tours connecting monuments. It will also mobilize the participation of agencies, sectors and unions in organizing tourism activities in the area.

Meanwhile, new tourism products will be added, such as sightseeing cruises on the Thach Han River, wellness tourism at the Spillway-Khe Trai Forest and Tich Tuong Ecotourist Site.

Services at tourist destinations will be enhanced to meet the transport, accommodation and entertainment needs of tourists. Regional links in tourism development will be strengthened. Investment in development projects in the local tourism and trade in services will be further stimulated.

Moreover, the town will mobilize resources from the private sector to build tourism infrastructure, develop human resources for trade in services and enhance State management of tourism activities will also be enhanced."

Jenna Duong - Ngoc Trang