On June 10, 2025, at Thao Nguyen Resort, Moc Chau town, Son La province. The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Dien Bien province chaired and coordinated with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Son La province to organize a conference of the Standing Group and the Working Group of the Steering Committee for Tourism Development of eight expanded Northwest Provinces and Ho Chi Minh City to review the first six months of the year and deploy tasks for the last six months of 2025.

Overview of the Conference

Attendance included members of the Standing Group and the Working Group of the Steering Committee for Tourism Development Cooperation of eight Expanded Northwest Provinces and Ho Chi Minh City; representatives of the Center for Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion; The Tourism Promotion Center, the Tourism Association of the Expanded Northwest Provinces and Ho Chi Minh City, along with a number of media agencies attended and reported. Mr. Bui Xuan Truong, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Hoa Binh Province attended.

In the first six months of the year, the Program of tourism development cooperation between the 8 Expanded Northwest Provinces and Ho Chi Minh City has achieved a number of important results. Right from the beginning of the year, the provinces have proactively issued an Implementation Plan, arranged funding in accordance with the actual conditions of the province and directed the organization and participation in joint activities to achieve progress and effectiveness. The provinces have promoted and participated in tourism promotion activities; organized a number of outstanding events, contributing to promoting and vividly introducing the land, culture and people of the 8 Expanded Northwest Provinces and Ho Chi Minh City; focus on applying digital transformation in tourism promotion activities, creating clips and writing many posts on platforms and social networks to attract domestic and international tourists. However, there are still some contents that have not been implemented due to difficulties in consolidating provinces and implementing resources.

Mr. Bui Xuan Truong, Deputy Director of the Hoa Binh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism attended the Conference

In the first six months of the year, the total number of visitors to the 8 expanded 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; In which, the number of tourists to the 8 expanded Northwest 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.

The delegates discussed and contributed ideas to continue implementing cooperation tasks, especially implementing the program to organize the Tinh Hoa Tay Bac - Dien Bien Festival in 2025, etc. Continuing to discuss and contribute ideas to the draft Plan for tourism cooperation development between the expanded Northwest provinces and Ho Chi Minh City in 2026; discussing the direction of tourism cooperation development in the period 2026-2030. The delegates agreed to propose that the Lai Chau Provincial Steering Committee will take on the role of head of the cooperation group in 2026.