Tourism Considered Key Economic Sector of Cao Bang Province

Cao Bang has long been well-known for its beautiful landscape with famous destinations such as Ban Gioc Waterfall in the Vietnam-China border (licensed by the Ministry of Culture and Information as a National Beauty Spot), Nguom Ngao Grotto, Thang Hen Lake and Khuoi Lai Lake. Cao Bang is also the land of historic and cultural heritages such as the Mac Dynasty Citadel, Na Lu Citadel, Ky Sam Temple, Tran Hung Dao Forest, and Lam Son Vestige, as well as hosting places attached to the revolutionary cause of Uncle Ho and the Vietnam Communist Party such as Pac Bo Cave and Le Nin Spring. The cultural and historic value and the charm of nature here create a great potential for tourism. In addition, there are three main border gates connecting to China, namely Ta Lung, Soc Giang and Tra Linh, which are very conducive to comprehensive cooperation with Guangxi Province, including cooperation in tourism.

Following the Resolution of the XIVth Provincial Party Standing Committee on the development orientation of Cao Bang tourism in 2000-2010 period, Cao Bang has received important attention and investment in tourism development. Tourist activities have seen encouraging growth, gradually meeting the increasing needs of visitors. The network of tourist services and businesses have grown in parallel with the development of other economic sectors. The number of tourist service companies in the province has increased from 2 to 30 with about 500 hotel rooms. In the next five years, Cao Bang will create an additional 2,000 standard rooms for visitors. Key tourist destinations like Pac Bo, Ban Gioc – Nguom Ngao and others have received substantial State investment and have come into operation. Tourist promotion activities have been intensified, resulting in an annual increase of 15-20 per cent in the number of visitors, both domestic and foreign. There were 42,842 arrivals to Cao Bang in 2004, including 2,064 foreigners and 40,778 nationals, up 162 per cent against the year 2000.

Cao Bang has great potential to develop different types of tourism such as visiting and studying cultural and historic heritage sites, charms of nature, eco-tourism, and stop-over tourism. Over the past few years, the tourist sector has seen a relatively rapid growth rate. However, due to geographic obstruction, transport system under construction, low level of investment and limited expertise, the results obtained are not compatible with its potentials. Faced with this situation, Cao Bang Provincial Party Standing Committee issued the Resolution on shifting the province’s economic structure in which Trade-Tourism was considered a key economic sector; in the next five years, this sector must record a high growth rate, fully exploit local potentials and contribute to the transformation of the local economic structure.

Therefore, in the coming years, the tourist sector will enhance tourist promotion activities to broadly introduce its beauty spots, historic vestiges, major tours and tourist products so that Cao Bang becomes more well-known at home and abroad. Moreover, the province will strengthen cooperation in tourism with Guangxi Province of China, receiving Chinese visitors via Cao Bang’s border gates to nation-wide tourist attractions and taking domestic visitors to famous places like Beijing, Shanghai and Guang Zhou. Cao Bang sees China as a tourist market of great potential for intensive cooperation.

In parallel with training for tourist personnel with high qualifications, Cao Bang will develop its tourist destinations such as Pac Bo Vestige Zone and Ban Gioc-Nguom Ngao into national tourist attractions. These areas will be provided with good quality infrastructure including transport, power supply, water supply, post and telecommunications, hotels, restaurants as well as entertainment services to meet visitors’ demands. The province will also develop other tourist zones in Cao Bang town, Phia Den, Khuoi Lai Lake, Thang Hen Lake and the border gates.