Ten investors have pledged to invest more than VND35 trillion (US$1.52 billion) into 16 tourism development projects in the northern province of Bac Giang.

Nguyen Van Linh, chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said at the Bac Giang Tourism Investment Promotion Conference on Wednesday that the province wanted to turn tourism into a spearhead industry.

Bac Giang wanted to become an attractive destination for cultural, spiritual tourism, eco-tourism and resort tourism, Linh said.

“Bac Giang promises to create favourable conditions for investors in tourism development,” Linh said, adding that incentives would be given to hotels from 3-star standard, restaurants, shopping centres, culture centres and tourism zones.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Quang Tung said that Bac Giang was rich in tourism resource but lacked tourism products.

Tung said the northern province should prioritise developing cultural and spiritual tourism products and resort tourism in combination with golf and eco-tourism for weekend getaways, meeting demands of tourists from neighbouring provinces and cities such as Ha Noi, Hai Phong and Quang Ninh.

Located just 60 kilometres from Ha Noi, Bac Giang should strive to become an important satellite destination for the capital city, Tung said, adding that the province should enhance co-operation in tourism with Bac Ninh, Thai Nguyen, Hai Duong and Quang Ninh to create a tourism chain.

Bac Giang received 1.2 million tourists in 2017, a leap of 128 per cent over 2016, bringing in tourism revenue of VND760 billion. — VNS