With just a few dozen seconds of video, a dance, a traditional costume, or an ethnic dish can attract thousands or even tens of thousands of views, shares, and comments. Equipped with just a smartphone, anyone can become a media “ambassador” spreading local cultural values strongly on social networks, opening up a new direction in promoting, preserving, and leveraging the cultural identity of Điện Biên’s ethnic communities in the digital era.

Quàng Văn Thành, owner of the Facebook page “Thành QV” with over 54,000 followers, is one of the active content creators focusing on the culture, tourism, and people of Điện Biên on social media. His page regularly uploads information and images introducing destinations within the province. Through short videos capturing natural landscapes, daily life, and distinct cultural traits of local residents, his channel attracts widespread interest from the online community. Notably, his ongoing journey titled “100 Days of Exploring Điện Biên” is expected to bring many fresh perspectives, contributing to promoting the image of this historic land to travelers from all over.

Quàng Văn Thành shared: “Stemming from a passion for exploration and a desire to introduce my homeland, I have built close, accessible content to help viewers better understand the life, customs, and habits of local ethnic groups. In the coming time, I plan to develop additional channels on other platforms, diversifying presentation methods to reach international friends. I hope that through the content I build and convey on digital platforms, foreign tourists will understand more and choose Điện Biên as a destination in their journey.”

In community-based tourism villages, more and more young people are proactively recording and creating content centered on their own ethnic culture. Without needing sophisticated techniques, they utilize their familiar living spaces - such as the porches of stilt houses, traditional costumes, and local cuisine - to tell stories about cultural life. Remarkably, this influence extends beyond entertainment, helping viewers gain a deeper sense of the customs, habits, and lifestyles of ethnic groups.

Lù Thị Toản from Mường Lay ward, owner of the fanpages “Quan Chiêng CBT Village” and “Homestay Mường Lay,” shared: “Mường Lay is not only prominent for the landscape of the Đà River reservoir but also preserves many unique cultural values of the White Thái people, reflected in their daily lives, residential architecture, and community activities. Therefore, through social networks, I want these cultural traits to be widely known, contributing to attracting tourists to come for real experiences and feel our ethnic identity more clearly.”

Seizing modern media trends, local authorities, agencies, and units have step-by-step utilized social media as an effective promotional channel. Numerous fanpages and information channels have been built and maintained regularly, updating diverse content to serve communication work. A prime example is the fanpage of the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, featuring many short videos, images, and digital media products invested in a creative direction that matches viewer tastes across platforms, contributing to enhancing promotional efficiency and attracting tourists to Điện Biên.

Trần Hải Hà, Acting Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, stated: “In the context of robust digital transformation, applying social media platforms to communication and promoting the local image is an inevitable trend. This is not only a fast and wide information channel but also an important tool to build and spread the Điện Biên tourism brand to visitors.”

With specific orientations, the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism is continuing to boost the production of digital media products in a professional direction, diversifying content, and increasing interaction and accessibility across platforms. Concurrently, it focuses on promoting the role of official information channels combined with community participation to generate a widespread ripple effect, contributing to elevating promotional efficiency and attracting tourists to Điện Biên.

On December 31, 2025, the Executive Board of the provincial Party Committee issued a Resolution on tourism development for the 2026 - 2030 period, with an orientation to 2035, emphasizing the requirement to link tourism development with stepping up communication and promotion on digital platforms and official information systems. Accordingly, alongside the goals of upgrading quality and recognizing community-based tourism sites, the province places its focus on expanding multi-platform promotional channels and enhancing digital technology applications in introducing tourism and cultural products.

By 2030, the province strives to have at least 7 recognized community-based tourism sites, one site meeting ASEAN community-based tourism standards, and 50% of recognized tourism sites with OCOP products widely promoted on digital platforms, contributing to forming a synchronized, modern tourism media ecosystem.