In recent years, Son La has paid special attention to tourism development cooperation and linkage activities with provinces and cities across the country, specifically implementing the content of the tourism development cooperation agreement between Ho Chi Minh City and the eight expanded Northwestern provinces for the period 2020-2025. The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has advised organizing activities to promote linkage and cooperation in tourism development between provinces, focusing on tourism promotion and communication activities, building and developing tourism products and human resources based on the actual situation of each locality, the cooperation agreement is the basis for implementing specific and practical activities, providing and exchanging tourism information between provinces and cities, sharing experiences and solutions to promote tourism development, issuing policies and mechanisms for tourism development, attracting tourism investment, etc.

2024 marked many exciting activities, implemented on a large scale, such as the Farm trip Program "Quintessence of Moc Chau 2024", with the participation of 94 travel agencies from many provinces and cities across the country. Organizing a Farm trip delegation of 90 travel agencies belonging to the Unesco Hanoi Travel Club and several travel agencies from Ha Nam, Ninh Binh, Ha Giang provinces, Hanoi City, Ho Chi Minh City to survey destinations, connect tours, and tourist routes in Son La city, Quynh Nhai district, Thuan Chau, the Farm trip delegation of the 40 businesses and travel agencies from the Northern region surveyed, evaluated, and consulted on building specialized tours at Moc Chau National Tourist Area. During the year, Son La also participated in Farm trip delegations to survey tourism products in Thanh Hoa and Lai Chau provinces, etc.

Through survey activities, businesses and travel agencies nationwide had objective assessments of available tourism services and the province's great potential to connect and develop new tours with links and expansion between provinces and regions. In addition, Son La's tourism workers also learn from experience and receive advice from travel agencies to improve quality and perfect services in a direction that suits tourists' tastes. The explicit results of the survey trips of Farm trip groups last year have helped Son La tourism develop remarkably, especially at the Moc Chau National Tourist Area, where destinations, services, and basic infrastructure are complete, meeting the selection criteria of travel agencies and attracting many visitors last year. On the Lunar New Year 2025, the number of visitors to Moc Chau increased dramatically. In just a few days of the Lunar New Year, the tourist areas and spots here welcomed over 105,000 visitors to visit, experience, and relax; social revenue from tourism activities reached over 136 billion VND.In particular, the People's Committee of Son La Province has a plan to implement cooperation activities to develop tourism in eight provinces of the Northwest and Ho Chi Minh City in 2025, as well as a strategy to implement the Tourism Development Stimulus Program in 2025. In the first 6 months of the year, the Program of cooperation to develop tourism in 8 provinces of the Northwest and Ho Chi Minh City has always received attention and close direction from the People's Committees of provinces and cities through the issuance of the Implementation Plan, allocating funds by the actual conditions of the province and directing the organization and participation in joint activities to achieve progress and effectiveness, thanks to the proactive and active advice on implementing efficient measures, the Cooperation Program of provinces and cities has had tourism growth, increasing the development of new products, and improved the quality of services of branded products in the 08 provinces of the Northwest.

Tourism promotion and advertising activities are innovated with a series of outstanding events organized, contributing to promoting and vividly introducing the land, culture, and people of the 08 extended Northwestern provinces and Ho Chi Minh City with potential strengths and attractive destinations for domestic and international tourists and investors; the application of digital transformation in promotional activities strengthened, the number of posts on platforms and social networks has increased significantly compared to before. With the positivity of the provinces, in the first 6 months of the year, the total number of visitors to the 08 extended Northwestern provinces and Ho Chi Minh City reached over 40.9 million, an increase of 4% over the same period in 2024 and reaching 45.92% compared to the annual plan, total tourism revenue reached over 135 trillion VND. Of which, the number of tourists to the 08 expanded Northwestern provinces reached nearly 22.7 million, accounting for 55.5% of the total number of visitors, with revenue reaching over 37 trillion VND. The number of visitors to Ho Chi Minh City reached over 18 million, accounting for 44.5%, with revenue reaching nearly 98 trillion VND.

In addition, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism continues to advise on the implementation of tourism development cooperation with Thanh Hoa signed in November 2023. It is a joint activity for tourism businesses between the two localities to connect, implement stimulus programs, preferential promotions, and discount vouchers for customers of the two provinces, extend more tours, and diversify tourism products.

Through efforts in linking, cooperating, and jointly developing sustainable tourism, Son La is gradually affirming its position on the map of Vietnam tourism. The companionship of authorities at all levels, businesses, and the community will be a solid foundation for Son La tourism to develop strongly and sustainably in the future.

Nguyen Hanh

Translated by Tuan Minh Dang