Vĩnh Nghiêm Pagoda in Tân An Ward, Bắc Ninh Province, part of the Yên Tử-Vĩnh Nghiêm-Côn Sơn, Kiếp Bạc Complex of Monuments and Landscapes, a UNESCO-recognised World Cultural Heritage site. — Photos courtesy of Bắc Ninh Province

BẮC NINH — Bắc Ninh Province has called on travel companies to continue taking the initiative in developing new tours and itineraries and strengthening links with tourist sites, craft villages, accommodation establishments and service providers to create distinctive, high-quality tourism products.

The call was made at a conference on promoting and connecting with travel companies to bring tourists to Bắc Ninh in 2026, organised by the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to promote linkages, develop distinctive tourism products and enhance the destination’s competitiveness.

Young Đông Hồ folk painting artisan Nguyễn Hữu Đạo contributes to preserving the traditional Đông Hồ folk painting craft in Bắc Ninh Province, which has been inscribed on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

At the conference, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Đỗ Tuấn Khoa said Bắc Ninh-Kinh Bắc was a land rich in historical traditions and the birthplace of Quan họ folk singing, a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, as well as home to many distinctive cultural values of the northern midland and mountainous region.

Bắc Ninh currently boasts a particularly rich cultural heritage, with eight heritages recognised by UNESCO and more than 3,000 historical and cultural relics, including 1,455 that have been officially ranked.

Notably, two relics are part of the Yên Tử-Vĩnh Nghiêm-Côn Sơn, Kiếp Bạc Complex of Monuments and Landscapes, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site; along with 10 special national-level relic clusters and sites comprising 44 component sites, 292 national-level relics and 1,117 provincial-level relics, as well as 25 artefacts and groups of artefacts recognised as National Treasures.

These are key advantages for Bắc Ninh to develop tourism into an important economic sector.

The Tây Yên Tử Spring Festival in Bắc Ninh opens annually on the 12th day of the first lunar month.

In recent years, Bắc Ninh has focused on investing in tourism infrastructure, preserving heritage, improving the business environment and enhancing service quality to build a friendly, safe and attractive destination brand.

Many new tourism products, events and festivals have been professionally organised, helping promote the province’s image and attract visitors.

At the conference, representatives of travel companies discussed and assessed advantages and challenges and proposed solutions to develop new tourism products, increase the destination’s appeal and extend visitors’ stays and spending.

Delegates also called for closer coordination among businesses, local authorities, destinations, craft villages and communities, and proposed support policies for promotion, digital transformation, human resources training and regional linkages.

They also shared experiences and successful models related to cultural and experiential tourism, industrial tourism and the night-time economy that could be developed in Bắc Ninh.

Visitors attend the Bút Tháp Pagoda Festival in Trí Quả Ward, Bắc Ninh Province.

Many participants suggested that Bắc Ninh develop new tourism products and add interactive experiences at craft villages and with artisans; regularly update and refresh experiential programmes; develop seasonal and festival-based packages tailored to different visitor groups; and support businesses in accessing domestic and international tourism promotion activities.

On the occasion, the Bắc Ninh Centre for Culture and Tourism Promotion and representatives of several tourism businesses signed memorandums of understanding on cooperation to build and develop tourism products in Bắc Ninh for the 2026-30 period.

Hải Vân Cát International Travel Joint Stock Company and Tây Yên Tử Services Joint Stock Company also signed a bilateral agreement to develop a Vĩnh Nghiêm-Tây Yên Tử tourism product. — VNS