Moc Chau: Investment for National Tourism Site Development

Moc Chau is known as a beautiful highland with majestic scenery and fresh cool climate. These are great advantages for developing ecological tourism and building resorts. Besides, this land is also famously home to popularly trademarked products like milk and tea for building and developing into an attractive destination.

 

With a very convenient geographical location, about 180 km west of the capital city of Hanoi, Moc Chau is an important point in the Hanoi - Northwest tour itinerary (Ha Noi - Hoa Binh - Moc Chau - Son La - Dien Bien Phu - Lai Chau - Sa Pa - Lao Cai). In recent years, the number of tourists in Moc Chau has risen quite quickly. From 2009 and early 2010, the number of weekend tourists in Moc Chau to experience and explore culture and go shopping has increased significantly. In 2009, tourist arrivals in Moc Chau exceeded 300,000, up 20 percent compared with 2008, said Mr Nguyen Van Binh.

 

Currently, the Moc Chau tourism industry is still in the beginning stage and it of course encounters many difficulties. Specifically, the poor-quality tourism infrastructure has only satisfied a very modest requirement. Human resources are mainly are untrained and the social awareness of tourism is insufficient. Popularity programme is not properly cared.

Currently, governments at all tiers and competent organs have focused on planning, attracting investment and promoting popularity. Typical plans include a 442-ha ecological tourism centre, a 150-ha cavern tourism site and a 50-ha Dai Yem waterfall resort. The Lang Son Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Moc Chau district have invested to organise community cultural and tourism villages like Phu Mau and Na Bai in Chien Yen commune, Ban Ang in Dong Sang commune and villages in Tan Lap commune, etc.

 

Moc Chau’s landscapes like Dai Yem waterfall, Son Moc Huong cave (Bat Cave) and five caves in Ban On village draw much interest of visitors. However, all these destinations are still in the stage of planning and investment preparation. In the coming time, after the master plan for Moc Chau national tourist site is approved, the aforementioned potential tourist destinations will become satellites managed under a unified regulatory system.

Son La province and Moc Chau district have determined to develop Moc Chau tourism industry sustainably, maintain and preserve natural beauty spots. The province and the district will build central tourist sites on the one hand and develop village-based cultural tourism on the other. Hill-tribe minorities peoples will be encouraged to join tourist activities.

 

Moc Chau will build key tourism products like vacation, cultural tourism, ecotourism, entertaining tourism and shopping.

 

To develop high-quality and competitive tourism products, Son La province and Moc Chau district will issue management mechanisms and attract investment on the basis of harmonious interests of the nation, the business and the community. Accordingly, the State will support construction of infrastructure and outline main tourism products. Businesses and people will invest and organise in services for tourists.

In fact, many tourists are always very keen on shopping and studying local products. However, the introduction and sale of agricultural products and handicrafts to visitors need to be organised systematically to keep tourists and beautify the image of attractive destinations. With natural endowments, rich cultural identities built by many ethnic minorities, agricultural products and handicrafts made by Moc Chau peoples will be meaningful souvenirs for visitors.

 

The authorities of the province and Moc Chau district will join hands with travel companies and resource management entities to have joint action. Particularly, they will focus on persuading the public to pay attention to environment protection. Accommodation systems, especially hotels, need to be restructured. In the near term, rest houses at destination villages need to be consolidated.

 

The Moc Chau Tourist Site Management Board will work with the Son La Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Moc Chau district to support travel companies to conduct surveys, to build competitive tourism products and promote human resources training for the development of Moc Chau.

Moc Chau tourism development prospects are very positive. After the master plan for Moc Chau national tourism is approved, Moc Chau will enter a new period of development. This is a good opportunity to attract big domestic and international investors to develop tourism in Moc Chau and create an important impetus to develop Moc Chau into a national tourist site.