In the first quarter of this year, Dien Bien welcomed around 550,000 visitors, up nearly 30% compared to the same period last year. The growth has been driven by a shift in the province’s tourism strategy, from focusing mainly on the historical relics of the Dien Bien Phu battlefield to developing culturally distinctive tourism products rooted in local identity.
Dien Bien’s 19 ethnic communities are now at the center of this approach. Festivals, customs, cuisine, and traditional living spaces are increasingly being viewed as valuable tourism resources that can be preserved, organized, and transformed into immersive visitor experiences.
In Thanh Yen commune, the traditional Khăm Bản or the water-splashing festival of the Lao ethnic community faithfully recreate rituals such as prayers for good fortune, wrist-tying ceremonies, and river worshipping rites. The events are accompanied by interactive cultural activities that encourage visitors to extend their stays.
Tran The Hoan, Vice Chairman of the Thanh Yen Communal People’s Committee, says: “The commune authorities are developing plans to preserve and promote the unique values of this festival as an intangible cultural heritage of the locality. This has been identified as a key task in our preservation strategy.”
Meanwhile, in Muong Lay ward, home to the White Thai ethnic group, community-based tourism models are delivering tangible results. Traditional stilt houses have become accommodation facilities for visitors, family meals are now culinary experiences, and traditional xoe dances and customs have been transformed into cultural tourism products.
Lo Huyen Giang, a resident of Chi Luong 1 village in Muong Lay ward, said: “Since joining community tourism activities, my family and I have gained stable income from services such as hosting visitors, cooking meals, and promoting local products. I feel proud to contribute to preserving and introducing our ethnic culture to both domestic and international visitors.”
One notable change in Dien Bien’s tourism development strategy is moving cultural events and activities from urban centers to local villages and community tourism sites.
Tran Hai Ha, Acting Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: “We plan to organize more cultural events in community tourism villages and cultural villages in order to create opportunities for local homestay owners and tourism communities to access the market, promote tourism, and develop services within their own villages. Visitors coming here will have more opportunities to experience local culture and cuisine, thereby increasing their overall satisfaction.”
By promoting the unique cultural values of its ethnic communities, Dien Bien is creating distinctive tourism products and also strengthening its destination brand, helping to ensure sustainable growth for the local tourism industry.
