Every autumn, buckwheat flowers add colour to the grey stone landscape of the Dong Van Karst Plateau, drawing visitors to mountain roads, villages and cultural sites in northern Vietnam.
This year, the focus is shifting from flower fields alone to extending the tourism season, improving services and increasing economic benefits for local communities.
The 12th Buckwheat Flower Festival will take place later in October. In the first nine months of 2026, Tuyen Quang welcomed more than 3.24 million visitors, including 567,443 international arrivals. Tourism revenue was estimated at 8.98 trillion VND, or 346 million USD.
About 400 hectares of buckwheat are planned across the Dong Van Karst Plateau to extend the season. Sowing will be staggered from October to December. By early October, more than 242 hectares had been planted across 12 communes.
The flower fields are being linked with heritage sites, cultural villages and other tourism attractions. Phan Duc Nam, chairman of the Dong Van commune People's Committee, said local authorities are also improving landscapes, sanitation and tourism services.
Festival activities will expand to include local cuisine, OCOP products, farm produce and community-based experiences. Visitors will be able to explore traditional Mong homes, try local dishes, buy products and stay overnight in villages.
Accommodation providers at the Then Pa Village tourism site are also focusing on local cuisine, culture and daily life rather than lodging alone. Vu Gia Dai, director of North Pole Travel, said this type of experience is increasingly sought by visitors.
Tuyen Quang has 1,519 accommodation establishments with about 14,860 rooms and more than 28,000 beds, including 755 homestay facilities. The province also has 83 travel companies and 371 licensed tour guides.
The Dong Van Karst Plateau's tourism assets include geological landscapes, traditional rammed-earth houses, highland markets, Mong culture, linen weaving, local cuisine and farming knowledge adapted to harsh conditions.
Nguyen Trung Ngoc, director of the Tuyen Quang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said tourism development in the geopark should be based on heritage conservation, better services and community participation. The province is also calling for higher service quality, transparent pricing, stronger promotion of agricultural products and improved tourism sites.
Sources: VietnamPlus / Vietnam News Agency
