THANH HÓA — Thanh Hóa has launched 12 trekking tours in its mountainous districts with a view to pulling in more tourists to the province.

The tours will be held mainly in three districts of Bá Thước, Quan Hóa and Thường Xuân.

Trekkers can discover 1,700m Pù Luông Mount in Bá Thước, 1,440m Pù Hu Mount in Quan Hóa and 1,600m Pù Gió Mount in Thường Xuân.

Other notable tours are the Pù Luông heritage road that link Bá Thước and Quan Hóa inter-district route, Pù Hu Mount to Chò (Parashorea chinensis), a route to see grey langurs, black and white gibbons, a visit to the Pơ Mu (Fokienia hodginsii) heritage tree and Lũng Nhai Oath Ceremony historic site.

Apart from these routes, the department will also provide other tours which will be designed in response to tourists' demands and interest.

Speaking at the launch ceremony on December 7, Deputy Chairman of Thanh Hóa People's Committee Nguyễn Văn Thi requested the department and all districts to continue to proactively organise additional surveys and design more trekking tours and activities in the mountainous areas.

He said it was necessary to increase the level of experience, adventure and depth of the tours, while ensuring absolute safety for visitors.

The related authorities and agencies also needed to strengthen advertising, promotion and connect with each other to link different tours and routes that would bring tourists to mountainous districts.

He asked to have additional training programmes to provide necessary skills for tour guides, especially in terms of first aid and survival skills which should be mandatory for those who are in charge of adventure and trekking tours.

In particular, it was necessary to focus on the management, monitoring and protection of forest resources and forest fire prevention and fighting.

Localities must urgently review and add more signs guides, rules and regulations in the forest, especially on trekking routes, conveying the universal principle of Thanh Hóa tourism: "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints".

The western mountainous districts of Thanh Hóa have extremely rich and diverse natural tourism resources with beautiful landscapes. Many clear streams and majestic waterfalls are hidden among nature reserves, which according to experts are very suitable for forming either short and easy-going experience routes or long and challenging tours. 

These areas are also home to different ethnic minority people with unique cultural features like Thái, Mường, Mông, Dao, Thổ and Khơ Mú groups.

Together with the success of recent Pù Luông trekking tournaments and the effects of community tourism, Thanh Hóa leaders and officials believed in the development of the trekking tour programme. — VNS