Awakening Thai Nguyen’s tourism potential

Located at the center of the Northern midlands and mountainous region, Thai Nguyen is not only known as the country’s “tea capital,” but also boasts a rich and diverse tourism resource system, ranging from natural landscapes to profound cultural and historical values. However, within the broader picture of Vietnam’s tourism industry, these potentials have yet to be fully exploited.

Dung Tan Tourism Area in Song Cong Ward.

In recent years, Thai Nguyen’s tourism sector has shown encouraging signs of growth. In 2025, the province welcomed over 7.3 million visitors, generating nearly VND 7,447 billion in total revenue. These figures speak for themselves, reflecting the destination's growing appeal. Yet behind this growth remain lingering concerns.

Ms. Ha Thi Bich Hong, Director of the Thai Nguyen Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: “Tourism development in Thai Nguyen has not yet truly matched the province’s strengths and advantages. The first difficulty lies in the transport infrastructure connecting to tourist areas. The second is the issue of attracting investment from businesses and investors”.

For tourism enterprises, the challenge is not only to attract visitors but also to retain them. When tourism products are not sufficiently diverse, and services are not truly synchronized, keeping tourists staying longer remains a major challenge.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Oanh, Deputy Director of Dung Tan Co., Ltd. in Song Cong Ward, shared: “Over the past years, tourism in Thai Nguyen has still not developed strongly, and revenue has not met expectations. I think, first of all, Thai Nguyen tourism lacks a highlight and has not fully exploited its tourism specialties. We need to create entertainment complexes as well as resorts that can serve as a locomotive to pull the entire Thai Nguyen tourism ecosystem toward stronger visitor retention capacity".

"And the issue of the night-time economy in Thai Nguyen after 6 p.m, what tourism products does Thai Nguyen have, and can they meet visitors’ needs? That is also a question that people working in tourism like me are always concerned about", she added.

The beauty of Ba Be Lake.

Nevertheless, from another perspective, tourism is opening up new opportunities for local people. From familiar tea hills, farmers have become local “tour guides,” offering visitors the most authentic and vivid stories and experiences of Thai Nguyen’s land and people. Tourism is contributing to daily changes in livelihoods and even reshaping the economic mindset of residents.

Mrs. Carolina, a tourist from Brazil, said: "I feel truly peaceful when I come here. Everything around me feels so familiar, making me feel as if I were in my hometown".

At present, Thai Nguyen tourism is facing a timely opportunity for a strong transformation. When every potential is awakened, and every value is elevated, this development journey will not only be reflected in numbers but will also spread as a driving force for the sustainable growth of the entire midland region.