(VOVworld) – The northern province of Lao Cai will offer a number of new tourist products from now until the year’s end, hoping to draw more visitors.

Dang Xuan Thanh, Vice Chairman of Lao Cai People’s Committee, at the event (Photo: Thu Thuy)

At Thursday’s press conference in Hanoi, Tran Huu Son, the Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, said that local authorities will launch a range of solutions to encourage enterprises and local people to participate in tourism development, especially ecological and cultural tourism and to diversify tourist products and satisfy visitors’ needs. Son said: “we’ve proposed to relax tax payments and prioritize banking loans and land use for ethnic people to develop community-based tourism. We’ve also encouraged local people to renew their tourism products, and create new ones by making full use of their traditional cultural characteristics and natural beauty.”

New products include a spiritual tour of Mother Goddess worshiping sites along the Red River, lantern and street festivals in the resort city of Sapa, and an international marathon tournament with the participation of some 450 athletes from 43 countries and territories. Lao Cai will launch eight new tours and offer promotional packages such as discounts on ticket and service prices.