Phu Tho Province received over 10.5 million visitors, including 74,000 international tourists, during the first half of 2026, generating an estimated VND10.755 trillion (US$410 million) in tourism revenue, according to VietNamNet News. The province also recorded more than 3.2 million overnight stays in this period.
Local digital content contributed significantly to the increase in visitor numbers. A video created by Nguyen Duy Tu, Party Secretary of Van Son Commune, attracted nearly one million views on Facebook within 24 hours. The video showcased Van Son’s natural landscapes and Muong cultural heritage, sparking weekend visits by hundreds of tourists. Van Son Commune,
formed by merging five communes, is positioning itself for provincial recognition as a tourism destination by 2030, focusing on community-based tourism and indigenous culture.
Government Campaigns Target Growth and Service Quality
In nearby Long Coc Commune, the local government launched the “Every Official, Every Resident Is a Tourism Ambassador” campaign on July 30, 2026, along with the Amazing Long Coc digital channel. These efforts aim to promote local attractions such as tea hills, festivals, and OCOP-certified products through digital platforms. Officials and residents are actively encouraged to create and share tourism content.
Phu Tho Province has set a goal to attract 15 million visitors and generate VND16.3
trillion (US$621 million) in tourism revenue by the end of 2026. To address service quality challenges, a campaign was launched in July 2026 at the Tam Dao National Tourist Area to upgrade sanitation, accommodation, and visitor services. The launch event was attended by Provincial Party Secretary Pham Dai Duong and involved collaboration among government agencies, tourism businesses, and local residents.
Strategic Vision Emphasizes Digital and Cultural Integration
Phu Tho’s tourism development strategy for 2026-2030 sets ambitious targets including attracting at least 20 million visitors, 7.8 million overnight stays, and generating VND26.5 trillion (US$1.01 billion) in tourism revenue by 2030. The province plans to expand accommodation capacity to
over 22,000 rooms and create at least 30,000 jobs in the tourism sector.
Digital transformation is central to this strategy. The province aims to develop a comprehensive tourism database linked to Vietnam’s national system and expand use of GIS mapping, QR codes, virtual reality, electronic payments, and public Wi-Fi at key destinations.
Phu Tho, with nearly 1,000 recognized historical and cultural sites including two Special National Relic Sites, six National Treasures, and five UNESCO-recognized heritage elements, participates in the Expanded Northwest tourism cooperation program. This program leverages artificial intelligence for destination marketing and creates promotional videos connecting tourism routes across
provinces.
The 2026-2030 strategy also acknowledges several ongoing challenges, such as uneven transport connectivity, limited distinctive products, suboptimal service quality, environmental management concerns, food safety, and traffic issues. Improving these areas remains critical for converting visitor numbers into sustainable economic benefits. In addition to cultural and spiritual tourism, the province plans to further develop hot mineral spring resorts, ecotourism, golf, MICE tourism, wellness tourism, agricultural tourism, and the night-time economy to attract longer stays.
