This is also known as the land of festivals with endless xoè performances, ancient festivals, Han Khuong love nights... with the pristine beauty of Thai girls in their com shirts - piêu scarves, with the white color of the Northwest sky, with the unique cuisine of ethnic minorities... has made Nghia Lo one of the attractive destinations on the Vietnam community tourism map. This locality is gradually affirming its position by promoting typical tourism products, aiming at sustainable development.

It is not difficult to see that community tourism with the homestay model is developing strongly in Thai villages such as Deu village, Sa Ren village, Chao Ha 1, Chao Ha 2... This is one of the strengths of tourism in Nghia Lo. Making tourism a brand, the goal of building Nghia Lo town into a cultural and tourist town, community tourism products have been closely paid attention to by the town government and localities, invested to reach the standards of OCOP products.

As a member of Muong Lo Tourism Cooperative since 2019, like many families doing tourism in the region, the family of Ms. Ha Thi Chinh - owner of Homestay Cuong Chinh in Deu 2 village, Nghia An commune not only focuses on quality and reputation but also always cares about creating uniqueness in each of the family's tourism services and products.

Ms. Chinh said: "My family has been doing tourism since 2010, but simply based on the family's conditions, so in the early years, not many travel companies, tour operators and tourists knew about it. With the attention and guidance of the Cooperative and specialized departments, the family re-planned the campus, built a website, translated the handbook introducing community tourism in Nghia An commune into English, linked tourist routes inside and outside the town... ensuring the criteria of OCOP 4 products".

Based on the potential and strengths of the locality, in recent years, Nghia Lo town has directed the expansion and diversification of typical tourism products in line with its potential. In particular, focusing on developing the strength of community tourism with more than 40 homestay models, mainly concentrated in Nghia An, Nghia Loi, Son A communes, of which 2 community tourism products in Nghia An and Nghia Loi communes have achieved 4-star OCOP at the provincial level; building 8 new homestay models in 6 wards and communes.

Cultural tourism focuses on festivals during the year, especially those taking place on the occasion of the Full Moon Festival in January, the Thai people's Xip Xi Festival and the Muong Lo Cultural - Tourism Festival. The town focuses on developing and improving the quality of eco-tourism products at Nghia Lo Dragonfly Area with many new services such as hot mineral baths, saunas, Dao ethnic herbal baths, and organizing outdoor events...

According to the leader of Nghia Lo Town People's Committee: Orientation of Resolution No. 20 dated April 20, 2021 of the Party Executive Committee of Nghia Lo Town on tourism development for the period 2021 - 2025, with a vision to 2030, the town prioritizes planning and attracting investment in tourist destinations associated with traditional cultural villages: Sa Ren village, Chao Ha 1, Nghia Loi commune; Deu village, Nghia An commune; Lu village, Phuc Son commune; Khinh village, Thanh Luong commune; ecological areas such as Pu Lo hill, Pu Trang ward; Bon village hot spring ecological area, Son A commune; urban areas combined with trade and resorts in Pu Trang ward, Tan An ward.

An entertainment and event organization area has been established at the Golden Field New Urban Area in Tan An Ward. Muong Lo Market - Area C has an area of ​​28,000m2 with functional areas of traditional markets, night markets, and kiosks to meet the stable and regular business needs of about 600 business households in the area. Along with that are projects to build regulating lakes in Cau Thia Ward and Nghia Loi Commune. The town also strengthens tourism links with Van Chan, Tram Tau, and Mu Cang Chai districts to consolidate the key tourist area in the West of Yen Bai Province.

Up to now, the town has more than 20 products recognized as OCOP products, including 3 community tourism and eco-tourism products in Nghia An, Nghia Loi and Phuc Son communes. Tourism is awakening the economic potential of each village in Nghia Lo. Developing tourism products combined with effectively exploiting traditional cultural values, agricultural and culinary strengths, tourism activities in Nghia Lo are currently creating jobs for over 3,000 workers, of which over 500 are direct workers. This shows that Nghia Lo tourism is becoming an important pillar to promote economic development, contributing to increasing people's income and preserving traditional cultural values.

Minh Thuy