A destination full of potential

Mr. Le Ngoc Linh, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Thai Nguyen, said that as the leading locality in the country in terms of tea growing area, Thai Nguyen has effectively exploited tea culture to create a series of unique tourism products: from tours to visit the tea regions of Tan Cuong, La Bang, Trai Cai, Phu Luong to tea art programs, tea cuisine with 153 dishes made from tea ingredients.

Thai Nguyen also invests in building accommodation spaces associated with tea, organizing gala dinners in the poetic tea hill setting, and activities to transform into “tea farms” to help visitors immerse themselves in a space filled with the colors and scents of tea trees. All of this is creating a systematic, culturally rich and increasingly professional tea tourism ecosystem.

In particular, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Thai Nguyen in coordination with Vietnam Railways Corporation to restore the Hanoi - Thai Nguyen train route, opening on April 26, promises to bring a new breeze to tourism in the "tea land".

“The trains are decorated with a tea theme, combined with OCOP product displays at the station, forming a 'tea ceremony train' - an unprecedented experience in the North. From Luu Xa station, visitors can easily visit Nui Coc Lake, ATK Dinh Hoa or famous tea villages, fully enjoying the quintessence of tea land in a short but emotional journey,” said Mr. Nguyen Chinh Nam, Deputy General Director of Vietnam Railways Corporation.

Thai Nguyen clearly identifies tourism as a key economic sector, a cultural bridge and a driving force for sustainable development. According to Ms. Tran Nu Ngoc Anh, Vice President of the Thai Nguyen Provincial Tourism Association, with the advantage of being only over 80 km from Hanoi and convenient traffic connections, Thai Nguyen is capable of welcoming large delegations, conferences, seminars, cultural and sports events with thousands of people.

Thai Nguyen province is synchronizing tourism infrastructure with a series of new conference centers, 4-5 star hotels, high-end resorts such as Flamingo Dai Tu (expected to open in 2026), international standard golf courses, newly inaugurated stadiums...

In addition, Thai Nguyen is constantly innovating its products and diversifying its experiences. Half-day, 1-day, 2-day 1-night tours serving business travelers, experts, students, and groups are becoming increasingly popular. From meetings in the auditorium, visitors can easily move to natural spaces to relax, organize teambuilding, enjoy tea, or participate in local cultural activities such as watching traditional martial arts, visiting Thai Hai village - the village that won the title of "Best tourist village in the world in 2022".

“Flexibility and skillful combination of work and entertainment are the “golden keys” for Thai Nguyen to break through in the fiercely competitive MICE tourism market in the North,” Ms. Ngoc Anh emphasized.

Link to create “leverage”

According to experts and businesses, Thai Nguyen tourism cannot "go alone" if it wants to develop strongly, but needs close cooperation, first of all with the capital Hanoi.

Mr. Tran Trung Hieu, Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Tourism, commented that Thai Nguyen is a “new gem” of resort, ecological and cultural tourism in the North. The connection between the two localities through highways and railways not only opens up opportunities to exploit short-term visitors, but also promotes the development of linked tours with themes: “From the heart of the capital to the land of tea with strong identity”, “Cultural - historical journey of the midlands” or “MICE experience in green tea nature”.

Hanoi will continue to coordinate with Thai Nguyen in organizing promotional events, promoting tourism, surveying new products, helping travel businesses explore the potential of the midland region. Major events of the year such as the Tourism Gift Festival, Hanoi Autumn Festival, Tourism Ao Dai Festival... are also opportunities for Thai Nguyen to introduce unique products to tens of thousands of domestic and foreign tourists.

Mr. Pham Tien Dung, Vice President of the UNESCO Hanoi Travel Club, said that Thai Nguyen has great potential for MICE, especially since it is the "headquarters" of large corporations such as Samsung and hundreds of satellite businesses. "If we exploit the flow of experts and engineers working in industrial parks, and at the same time invest in quality human resources and safe and friendly services, this source of visitors alone will be enough to maintain a stable and long-term international tourist market," Mr. Dung said.

From there, Mr. Dung suggested that Thai Nguyen province should organize more sports tournaments, tea festivals, and large-scale community events to "activate" the entire tourism ecosystem. At the same time, promote the charter ship model, and unite businesses to gather passengers for specialized trains such as "tea ceremony trains", both creating new products and promoting the image of the "tea land" in a vivid and effective way.

The good news is that the Thai Nguyen government and tourism businesses are showing great determination in professionalization and innovation. “We determine that tourism development is not only about building motels and tours, but also about culture, telling local stories, and creating emotions for tourists,” Ms. Ngoc Anh emphasized.

In 2025, Thai Nguyen aims to welcome 6 million visitors, nearly double that of the previous year. This is a challenging number, but completely feasible if the province maintains a growth rate of over 30% as in 2024, while continuing to invest synchronously from infrastructure to people.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/thai-nguyen-chuyen-minh-thanh-diem-den-du-lich-mice-20250414102148056.htm