They include the Hung King Temples Festival in Phu Tho province, the Thuong (Upper) Temple and Long Tong festivals in Lao Cai province and the Xoe and Han Khuong dancing festivals in Yen Bai province.

According to festival organisers, the number of tourists to the three provinces has increased sharply since the programme was launched for the first time in 2005. Notably, more than four million holiday-makers toured the three provinces in 2006, a year-on-year increase of 15 percent. Of the total, three million came to Phu Tho, 560,000 to Lao Cai and 180,000 to Yen Bai.   

Thanks to the programme, investors have poured hundreds of billions of Vietnam Dong into tourism development projects in the three provinces, which helped bring a new facelift to many localities formerly known as remote and disadvantaged communes. In addition, local people have been encouraged to get involved in tourism services, helping reduce hunger and poverty rate.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Nguyen Huu Van, chairman of the Lao Cai provincial People’s Committee highlighted the tourism development potential of the three provinces and said they will coordinate closely to promote regional tourism development, contributing to the success of the National Programme of Action on Tourism.

On March 3, the Thuong (Upper) Temple festival opened in Lao Cai province in commemoration of King Tran Quoc Tuan.