Golf courses that are planned synchronously and invested in methodically have become highlights to attract high-spending tourists. These projects also contribute to improving infrastructure, creating stable jobs, and increasing budget revenue.

The reality in Phú Thọ shows that a new “dynamic cluster” of service economy has formed from the Đầm Vạc golf course in the heart of Vĩnh Yên ward and the Tam Đảo golf course on the lush green hills to the golf resort by Thanh Lanh lake. Notably, the Đầm Vạc golf course once hosted the golf event at SEA Games 31, which affirmed the position of the locality on the sports and tourism map. The system of supporting services such as shops selling golf equipment, hotels, and restaurants has developed strongly to create jobs for thousands of workers while contributing positively to local economic growth. This is a vivid demonstration of the harmonious combination between sports, resorts, landscape preservation, and green economic development.

From that practical experience, Điện Biên is a locality rich in potential regarding natural landscapes, historical values, and cultural identity. The province is currently step-by-step realizing a new development direction with two 18-hole golf course projects of international standards. According to the planning, the first project is located in Thanh Nưa commune with an area of more than 86ha belonging to the new urban, resort tourism, and sports service area in the northwest of Điện Biên Phủ ward. The second project is expected to be located in Điện Biên Phủ ward with a scale of 95.6ha belonging to the complex of urban area, tourism, sports, and entertainment at Huổi Phạ lake and its vicinity.

These golf course projects are placed within the overall provincial planning of Điện Biên for the 2021 - 2030 period with a vision to 2050. This is closely linked to the orientation of urban, tourism, and service development. The province clearly defines the perspective of implementing the projects according to the planning and complying with legal regulations to ensure a harmony of interests between the State, businesses, and the people. Furthermore, the local authorities emphasize the elements of the environment and sustainable development.

Bùi Văn Luyện, Director of the Department of Construction, stated that in the provincial planning for the 2021 - 2030 period with a vision to 2050, Điện Biên orients the planning of five golf courses associated with urban and tourism areas. Currently, the Department of Construction is coordinating with Điện Biên Phủ ward, Mường Thanh ward, and Thanh Nưa commune to implement the sub-zone planning and detailed planning for two golf course projects. The first golf course project is planned in the Northwest sub-zone of Điện Biên Phủ ward and is associated with the Cảng Hàng không Điện Biên. Regarding the second project, which is the golf course belonging to the Huổi Phạ lake sports urban area, the Department of Construction will coordinate with the Department of Finance to organize the selection of investors in the coming time.

In Thanh Nưa commune, which is one of the areas implementing the project, the local government and people expressed their consensus and high expectations for the positive impacts that the golf course project will bring. Nguyễn Trọng Dương, the Vice Chairman of the Thanh Nưa commune People’s Committee, assessed that the golf course project is expected to create a new motivation for the socio-economic development of the locality. This project will contribute to attracting investment while promoting tourism and related service industries such as accommodation, dining, transport, and trade to improve the lives of residents in the area.

According to Nguyễn Trọng Dương, the job positions that local people can participate in are quite diverse. These include caring for and maintaining the golf course, serving customers, reception, security, sanitation, technical tasks, and service operation management. In addition, auxiliary industries such as construction, material supply, landscape agriculture, community tourism, and local trade will also benefit and create a positive spillover effect in the economy.

Residents in the area within the golf course project region in Điện Biên Phủ ward have shown high agreement. Lò Văn Păn, who is the head of Tân Quang village in Điện Biên Phủ ward, stated that the policy of investing in and building the golf course has been propagated and disseminated to the people by all levels of government. The people in the village basically agree and expect that after the project is completed, there will be more stable job opportunities and increased income.

The two golf course projects are expected to supplement high-quality tourism products for Điện Biên. When there are more types of resort tourism and modern sports, the length of stay for tourists will be extended and their spending will increase. This creates a boost for service industries and community tourism. Trần Hải Hà, Acting Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, affirmed that the implementation of golf course projects is a specific step to concretize Resolution 12 of the provincial Party Committee on tourism development. This reflects the determination of the province to realize the goal of double-digit economic growth and make tourism a spearhead economic sector.

According to Trần Hải Hà, the golf course projects will contribute to diversifying tourism products by expanding into resort tourism, sports tourism, and high-class entertainment. These projects will promote investment attraction in tourism infrastructure, accommodation services, restaurants, hotels, resorts, and high-quality travel transport. The projects will create more jobs and increase income for workers while attracting high-quality human resources to Điện Biên. More importantly, the image of Điện Biên tourism will be enhanced to harmonize traditional historical and cultural values with a modern and classy tourism appearance.

The two golf course projects are expected to open new development spaces and create more growth momentum for the province in the coming period. With a cautious and methodical approach that complies with planning and law along with the consensus of the people, Điện Biên is step-by-step realizing the goal of rapid and sustainable development. This affirms its position on the economic and tourism map of the Northwest region and the whole country.