Bac Giang looks to develop night-time economy

The People's Committee of Bac Giang province has recently approved a night-time economic development project for the 2021-2030 period with the aim to promote the development of evening economic activities in the locality, and turn Bac Giang into a vibrant and attractive destination, meeting the needs of working, entertaining, shopping, enjoying food and experiencing the nightlife of locals and visitors.

By 2030, the northern province aims to form at least one separate vibrant night-time entertainment complex, at least three large-scale areas with shops, shopping centres, food streets and restaurants around industrial parks, at least three tours combining culinary and cultural services to serve tourists with an average stay of 3-4 days, and at least four products serving night-time tourism.

Under the project, districts and Bac Giang city will have their own pedestrian street or night-time economic activity development zone, associated with local characteristics.

At first, the province will focus on forming and maintaining walking streets with potential for development in Bac Giang city and Viet Yen district, such as the walking street in the southern urban area in Tan Tien commune, and the nigh-time street in My Dien residential area in Nenh township of Viet Yen district.

At the same time, the locality will study and develop the evening economy with a variety of services and activities at night such as cultural and entertainment, catering, shopping and tourism services.

In large-scale tourist areas and tourist accommodation establishments, Bac Giang province will encourage investment in upgrading night-time services such as cafés, bars, pubs, karaoke and massage parlors.

Bac Giang will consider periodically organising cultural and entertainment events like music festivals, carnival parades, light festivals and street dances at night in line with its cultural and historical events such as Xuong Giang Victory Festival, Yen The Uprising Festival, Tay Yen Tu Festival, Luc Ngan Fruit Festival and Tho Ha Pagoda Festival.

It will consider establishing food markets and food streets to serve tourists, and encouraging restaurants and cafés to extend their opening times, establishing shopping streets and commercial centres to encourage famous brands to place booths there, and encouraging convenience stores to remain open around the clock.

To effectively carry out the project, Bac Giang gives priority to the planning of areas which hold potential in developing the evening economy, upgrading infrastructure, developing services, building mechanisms and policies to encourage investment and develop the evening economy, and ensuring security, order, environmental sanitation, food safety and service quality.

Bac Giang province holds a convenient position which is adjacent to the northern key economic region - an important economic centre of the northern region and the whole country and is able to conveniently connect with a number of key tourist destinations in the northern midland and mountainous region such as Mau Son in Lang Son province, Nui Coc Lake in Thai Nguyen province, Ban Gioc Waterfall in Cao Bang province, Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh province, and Con Son - Kiep Bac tourist site in Hai Duong province.

In 2020, despite the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bac Giang's gross regional domestic product (GRDP) surpassed 13 percent, the highest in the country. The province's average per capita income reached 2,900 USD, 5.5 percent higher than the national average.

Currently, Bac Giang province has five concentrated industrial parks and 35 industrial clusters. There are more than 175,000 labourers working in concentrated industrial parks, with an average wage of 7.5 million VND (325 USD) per month. Meanwhile, there are 6,100 foreigners working in the province, including 2,500 experts, with an average salary of 30-50 million VND (1,300-2,160 USD) a month./.