Thanh Hà

HÀ NỘI  As the third largest outskirts district of Hà Nội, Chương Mỹ lies in a combined area offering river banks, plains and a semi-mountainous zone, home to a number of beautiful landscapes and traditional craft villages.

The district is home to 370 heritage sites and many unique craft villages, including famous and scenic spots such as the Trầm Pagoda, Trăm Gian Pagoda, Vô Vi Pagoda and the Phú Vinh bamboo and rattan weaving village.

With so many advantages Chương Mỹ is a hot tourism destination but for a long time, its potential has not been fully explored.

Hà Nội's Department of Tourism and local authorities have discussed with travel agencies and experts ways for it to achieve its full potential, at a recent conference entitled "Upgrading service quality and connecting tourist destinations of Chương Mỹ District".

Bùi Mạnh Thắng, vice chairman of the district People's Committee [Administration], said tourism products and services in Chương Mỹ were diverse, with many products such as golf tourism, paragliding, spiritual tourism, craft village and agricultural tourism, combined with educational services.

He said his district currently had 14 tourist attractions in operation. Of these, four would be recognised as city-level destinations by 2025-26 namely, Wyndham Sky Lake Golf Course and Resort, Phú Vinh Craft Village, Trầm and Trăm Gian pagodas, and Mộc Lâm Viên Complex.

“Our tourism potential is huge, but currently it is only at a spontaneous level, lacking planning. It leads to duplication, monotony and fragmentation,” Thắng said.

 

In an attempt to push the tourism industry Chương Mỹ has been focused on developing agricultural, ecological and community tourism, associated with indigenous culture, beliefs and traditional festivals.

It plans to upgrade infrastructure and facilities and complete the Tourism Development Project to 2030, with a Vision to 2050, all with a view of attracting more investment into the local tourism industry.

It is forecast that by the end of 2025, Chương Mỹ would have welcomed about 250,000 visitors, of which international travellers will reach about 80,000. The better revenue from tourism and services would contribute remarkably to promoting economic restructuring, attracting investment, creating jobs and improving people's lives in the district, he said.

"Chương Mỹ District is known as a land rich in historical and cultural traditions, along with a system of scenic spots, heritage sites, traditional craft villages and unique ecological landscapes," Deputy Director of the Hà Nội Department of Tourism Trần Trung Hiếu said at the conference.

“However, there are limitations in the exploitation and development activities to bring the potential to bloom. The local tourism products have not been systematically developed. The lack of chain connections and wide promotion to the community and tourists are also big problems,” he said.

Director of the Royal Tour Company Đào Thị Kim Lan said: "The district has advantages in natural landscapes and is attracting investment from large corporations. However, many tourist destinations in the area are currently only suitable for short-term experiences. To help Chương Mỹ fly high in addition to promotion, the district needs to focus on connecting destinations and building tours and routes suitable for each group of tourists."

Director of KTS Tourist Đặng Văn Khang agreed, saying: "Currently, there is still a lack of compatible connection between destinations and with travel agencies as well as neighbouring localities. The district needs to promote activities to introduce and promote its strengths and uniqueness, and at the same time have effective promotion policies to attract travel businesses to build tours."

 

He added that Chương Mỹ needs to have flexible mechanisms and specific incentives to strengthen the connection between destinations, accommodation facilities and travel businesses. They then would make up an attractive combo and package products that are easy to reach customers.

Cù Thị Thu Thủy, head of the Trade Promotion Department of the Hà Nội Tourism Association, suggested Chương Mỹ should connect up more craft village tours where visitors could experience the ancient craft activities, buy and craft products and make those tours unforgettable. VNS