Speaking to Lao Dong reporter, Mr. Phan Dang Toan - Secretary of Sa Pa Town Party Committee said that Sa Pa town is currently a member of the Friendship Cities Tourism Alliance initiated by Konming City (Yunan Province, China) with 17 major cities of 8 countries and is expanding cooperative relations with many cities and towns of countries around the world.
Therefore, to maintain its role and position and maintain friendly cooperation with other localities, the People's Committee of Sa Pa town is proposing to competent authorities the idea of giving the new name "Area" to urban areas and "Rural areas".
Another option is to keep the name of Sa Pa town. According to this plan, local governments will still ensure two levels: provincial and grassroots.
This is a proposal that deserves much attention and study. Especially for cities and towns that are branded tourism centers on the world tourism map.
Not only Sa Pa, many localities have names associated with the history and culture of a land. Because of that historical and cultural resource, famous cities and towns have become tourist destinations not only attracting domestic tourists but also destinations for international visitors.
These include the cities of Da Lat, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Vung Tau, Quy Nhon, Phan Thiet, Tuy Hoa, Hoa Lu, Thuy Nguyen, Tuyen Quang, Dong Hoi, Vinh, Pleiku, Buon Ma Thuot, Ha Long...
Not only do the authorities and people of these localities propose a plan to keep the famous place names, but perhaps the majority of people in the country and overseas Vietnamese also have the same wish.
Abolishing the district level and merging some commune-level units will certainly lead to some old district, ward and commune names no longer on the administrative map. However, it is necessary to prioritize preserving the names of famous places, especially those related to history, culture and attracting international tourism.
Some provinces have proposed to keep famous place names, such as Quy Nhon (Binh Dinh), Da Lat (Lam Dong), Vung Tau (Ba Ria - Vung Tau), Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa), Phu Quoc (Kien Giang)... This is a very suitable proposal, in line with the thoughts and aspirations of the majority of people.
For international visitors, when those familiar tourist destinations are still on the administrative map, they can access them on channels to update information when visiting.
