Hanoi to unlock tourism potential of craft villages

This subject was raised in a conference on boosting businesses and cooperatives in Hanoi's craft villages, hosted by Hanoi People’s Committee on July 5.

At the conference, Nguyen Van Tien Anh, director of Phuong Dong Wood Furniture Development Ltd. in Dong Anh district, said, "I’ve observed that developing tourist-centric craft villages can be very successful. I hope the city will continue to invest in and promote craft villages with tourists in mind to help create jobs."

Hanoi Department of Tourism collaborated with Thanh Oai, Ung Hoa, and My Duc People’s Committees last April to introduce a tourist route titled, 'Southern Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Road - Return to Roots'. They also worked with Ba Vi district to launch the community tourism destination of Mien village, linked to the herbal medicine practices of the Dao people in Hop Son village.

Hanoi currently has 1,350 craft villages, which contribute an estimated revenue of over VND24 trillion ($1 billion) per year, as reported by Hanoi People’s Committee.

Recognising the economic value of craft village tourism, Pham Anh Duc, an artisan from Bat Trang Pottery Village in Gia Lam, said, "Tourists don’t just come to take a look or buy crafts. They also order custom products, leading us to create a new line based on their specific demands."

Hanoi aims to launch as many as five new tourist sites with city-based attractions used to promote high-quality craft villages. In addition, the focus will be on training village residents to become tour guides and encouraging travel agencies to collaborate and promote social resources for tourism infrastructure.

Hanoi Tourism Department will focus on developing unique products related to heritage, relics, and craft villages along the Hanoi Centre - Thanh Tri - Thuong Tin - Phu Xuyen route into 2025, with the main objective of improving the capabilities of the locals in catering to tourists and promoting cultural tourism.

Additionally, further conferences will be arranged by the department to improve the quality of tourist destinations overall and to establish connections with travel businesses in Hanoi.

Moreover, Hanoi will prioritise investing in, building, and promoting the Hanoi tourism brand. The primary emphasis will be on the outstanding heritage and authentic traditional culture of the capital.

Hanoi is tapping into cultural resources, considering it as a new source for the capital’s development through experiential activities and heritage tourism.

Hanoi’s People’s Committee has revealed plans to introduce a new city tour bus route linking downtown Hanoi with Bat Trang Ceramics Museum this year.

Hanoi's high-end hotels are rolling out a series of enticing offers in response to the local tourism authorities' 2024 stimulus offering, themed “Hanoi Residents and Tourists Experience Services at Hanoi 4-5 Star Hotels”.

Hanoi has launched a new application designed to connect citizens and businesses with all levels of government.