The Cao Đài Tây Ninh Holy See, the headquarters of Cao Đài religion, is one of the must-visit destinations in Tây Ninh Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Giang Phương

The southeastern province of Tây Ninh has emerged as a popular travel destination, a reward for its continued efforts to diversify tourism products and strengthen business linkages.

The province has identified tourism as a main driving force for socio-economic growth, Nguyễn Thanh Ngọc, chairman of the province People’s Committee, says.

It targets the tourism industry accounting for more than 10 per cent of its economy by 2030 after growing its revenues at 25 per cent a year.

To accomplish the goal, the province has developed a tourism development plan until 2025 that focuses on unique offerings.

Visitors to Tây Ninh can find various tourist attractions such as Bà Đen Mountain (Black Virgin Mountain), Cao Đài Tây Ninh Holy See, Dầu Tiếng Lake, and the relics of the Central Party Office for South Việt Nam [during the anti-American war], a special national heritage site, he says.

Bà Đen Mountain at a height of 986 metres above sea level, a sacred place to Buddhists, and the Cao Đài Tây Ninh Holy See, the headquarters of the Cao Đài religion, alone attract millions of pilgrims and travellers every year.

ON HIGH: Tourists flock to the top of Bà Đen Mountain. — VNA/VNS Photo Giang Phương

The province is taking steps to elevate itself into a global travel destination, Ngọc says.

Tây Ninh’s tourism has seen robust growth in recent years thanks to sound investment in new products and services.

In 2022 it attracted more than 4.5 million visitors, an increase of 200 per cent from 2021, and tourism revenues were nearly VNĐ1.5 trillion (US$61 million), an increase of 140 per cent.

In the past 10 months it received 4.5 million tourists or 90 per cent of this year's target of five million.

Revenues are estimated at VNĐ1.89 trillion ($76.9 million).

The province plans to earmark VNĐ7 billion ($284,700) to create more tourism products and for marketing and promotion from now until 2025.

Promoting 10 festivals and linking its various tourist attractions are among its other plans.

Tourism linkage

Nguyễn Quỳnh Anh, a woman in her 30s from HCM City, was surprised by the splendid scenery she saw on white cloud-covered Bà Đen Mountain.

“I did not imagine there would be such stunning landscapes, a tranquil atmosphere and cool weather on top of the mountain and so many types of flowers,” she says after visiting the place for the first time in mid-October.

The trip by cable car to the top offered panoramic views of the mountain and Dầu Tiếng Lake and the fertile plains below, she says.

Tourists take the cable car to the peak of Bà Đen Mountain. — VNS Photo Giang Phương

Trần Thị Huy Hoàng, deputy director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, says a wide range of promotion activities and events to attract tourists have been held through the year.

With 95 heritage sites, eight national intangible heritages, and renowned pilgrimage destinations, the province has huge potential to become a leading travel destination in the country, she says.

To attract tourists, the province has strengthened tourism linkages with HCM City and the provinces of Đồng Nai, Bình Dương, Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu, and Bình Phước.

Localities in the southeast region signed an agreement in 2020 for tourism linkages to strengthen cooperation, develop inter-provincial travel products, and jointly exploit their full tourism potential, she says.

The agreement includes collaboration in areas such as tourism management, development of tourism products, promotional activities, and human resource development.

Nguyễn Minh Mẫn, marketing and communications director at TSTtourist, says tourism linkages are vital to realise the tourism potential of localities and create attractive travel products that combine popular destinations in the region.

Tây Ninh will continue to solicit investment in hotels and resorts and amusement and eco-tourism attractions, according to its People’s Committee [administration].

It will invest further in traffic infrastructure to promote regional linkages with a focus on major projects such as the HCM City - Mộc Bài Expressway and Chơn Thành - Đức Hòa section of the Hồ Chí Minh Road, and the Bàu Bàng - Mộc Bài railway. VNS

The sacred 300-year-old Bà (Lady) Temple on Bà Đen Mountain attracts large numbers of pilgrims. — VNS Photo Thu Hằng