Forming a new tourist route "2 countries, 1 destination" between Vietnam and Laos

Experience of nostalgia

Mr. Hoang Anh (Moc Chau, Son La) sometimes drives his car to Hua Phan province to experience Lao cuisine and drink beer. “The wild nature, fresh air, and friendly people bring a pleasant feeling. My friends and I drive around Sam Neua on the weekend and then return to Vietnam,” Mr. Hoang Anh shared.

Tourism activities in the border area between Moc Chau and Sam Neua (Laos) have been self-discovery in recent years. However, the organization of tours between the two regions is still limited. Therefore, recently, Son La province and Hua Phan province (Laos) together with Hanoi tourism enterprises organized a tourism survey team. Participating in the survey of the route Hanoi - Moc Chau (Son La) - Vieng Xay - Sam Neua (Hua Phan, Laos), tourism enterprises have the opportunity to learn, evaluate and advise on the quality of services and routes with the desire to add new routes, especially in the context of high airfares as present.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Lam, Director of Aritour Joint Stock Company, said that this is a new destination with Sam Neua destination that many people know through the song Tran Tien. However, the tourism service on the Lao side is still quite primitive, so tour guides must inform tourists in advance. This could be a form of experiential tourism for those who are nostalgic about Vietnam 20 years ago. As for the road type, it is quite suitable for the caravan type (self-driving car).

“This type of tourism is similar to Korea 30 years ago, when I was a tour guide and worked in Korea. At that time, people had economic potential and could afford their own cars and wanted to travel with their families within a short distance on weekends, especially to rural and mountainous areas,” Mr. Lam shared.

Indeed, this route is quite suitable for self-driving groups. Traveling from Hanoi to Moc Chau town center is nearly 200 km, from Moc Chau to Long Sap border gate is about 30 km but the road is small and a bit bad. From Long Sap border gate (Laos side is Pa Hang border gate) to Sam Neua town center is about 120 km of good but winding road. The road on the Lao side is quite deserted with many bends, quite suitable for testing the driving skills. The wild natural scenery, ethnic stilt houses, terraced fields ... bring tourists new experiences. "However, the service infrastructure on the Hua Phan side is still quite rudimentary, so for now, it is for self-driving customers, customers who like to experience and eventually for groups of customers", Mr. To Them, representative of Postum Travel Company shared.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Lam commented that this route, in addition to visitors from the Hanoi market, can exploit the flow of visitors from the Ho Chi Minh City market, including those staying in Moc Chau to participate in recreational activities and experience new services. After that, visitors can go to Hua Phan province to visit relics, temples, museums and enjoy cuisine, exchange and learn about the lives of people in Hua Phan province. With the current service, the stay is only about one night and then return to Moc Chau the next day.

Create openness when clearing customs

Ms. Man Phenh Kha Ti Nha, Director of the Department of Information, Culture and Tourism of Hua Phan province, said: "In 2023, Hua Phan province welcomed more than 45,000 visitors; of which more than 21,000 tourists came from Vietnam. Of these Vietnamese visitors, more than 13,000 were from Son La province. In the opposite direction, more than 7 visitors from Hua Phan province came to visit Son La. Currently, Hua Phan province has 158 tourist attractions. In the coming time, Hua Phan province will prioritize the development of cultural, natural and historical tourism."

Mr. Phung Xuan Khanh, Director of Tien Phong Travel, Head of the Investment Promotion and Foreign Affairs Department of the Unesco Hanoi Travel Club, said: “During a business trip to Laos before 2020, I drove myself back through the Long Sap international border gate in the direction of Moc Chau to Hanoi and realized that this was a route that could be exploited to extend the length of stay. In 2022, the unit organized the first groups of tourists through this route.”

Based on the fact that tours have been organized along the Moc Chau - Sam Neua route, Mr. Phung Xuan Khanh proposed that the authorities of the two countries upgrade the border gate to an international one to facilitate tourists from third countries to clear customs through the border gate. This will help increase the number of visitors to Moc Chau and Sam Neua, creating opportunities for local tourism and services along this route to develop.

After surveying the route organized by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Son La province, an alliance connecting tourism businesses in Hanoi and Moc Chau was formed to develop new tourism products to introduce to tourists.

Mr. Nguyen Trung Quan, Director of Avitour said: “We have determined that building a 3-day tour is appropriate, including a night stay in Moc Chau, with an expected price ranging from 3.5 million VND to 4 million VND/person departing from Hanoi. This new tour route brings visitors both an experience and a sense of nostalgia.”

From the perspective of local businesses, Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung, Vice President of Son La Tourism Association, said that Hua Phan is a province bordering Son La with advantages in historical, spiritual and pristine nature tourism, with conditions to connect through Moc Chau Tourist Area. After the survey trip, the tourism alliance in Moc Chau and Hanoi tourism enterprises will join forces to form a Hanoi - Moc Chau (Vietnam) - Vieng Xay - Sam Neua (Hua Phan, Laos) tourist route with specific stimulus programs, especially during off-peak times.

Ms. Trang Thi Xuan, Permanent Vice Chairwoman of Son La Provincial People's Committee said: "The two provinces of Son La - Hua Phan continue to coordinate and effectively implement tourism and cultural development activities. The two provinces promote cooperation in exchanging information, building tourism products and tourist markets; sharing information and experiences in promoting tourism, calling for tourism investment promotion; supporting travel agencies and tourism service businesses to deploy tours between Son La and Hua Phan...".

Ms. Trang Thi Xuan also requested that Hua Phan province continue to submit to the Lao Government to speed up the upgrading of Pa Hang national border gate into an international border gate. This is the basis and favorable condition for tourism development between the two provinces; at the same time, requesting state management agencies on tourism and related agencies such as Border Guard, Customs, Police, etc. of the two provinces to create favorable conditions for tourism enterprises, travel agencies, organizations and individuals doing tourism business in the process of implementing tourism development activities between the two provinces in the coming time.