Quang Ninh - a land of heritage and natural wonders.

Hot spots on the tourism map

Recently, Rough Guides, a world-renowned travel guide publisher from the UK, released a new book titled "The Rough Guide to the 100 Best Places on Earth," and Ha Long Bay is one of the 100 destinations mentioned in the book.

But this is just the latest accolade in a series of "laurels" that Ha Long Bay has received in recent times, such as: being recognized twice by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage Site, the title of New World Natural Wonder awarded by the New Open World organization, being ranked among the Top 10 most beautiful heritage sites in the world according to the prestigious travel website CNTraveler, and among the Top 25 most beautiful natural wonders in the world according to CNN's travel website...

However, it's not just Ha Long Bay; in Quang Ninh, visitors can enjoy a full range of wonderful things for all travel enthusiasts, from majestic mountains and tropical islands to vibrant cities, ancient cultural heritage sites, and unique cuisine…

In terms of natural topography, Quang Ninh can be divided into three regions: mountainous areas, midland and coastal plains, and sea and islands, each with its own unique characteristics. The mountainous region boasts destinations such as Binh Lieu, Yen Tu, Sa Vy Cape, Yen Trung Lake, Khe Van Waterfall, Song Mooc Waterfall, Son Cave, and Milestone 1305; the midland and coastal plains are famous for Long Vang Cape and Pac Sui Waterfall; and the sea and islands are particularly unique with over 2,000 islands (accounting for more than two-thirds of the country's islands) stretching along more than 250 km of coastline, divided into many layers. Some islands are very large, such as Van Don, Co To, Cai Bau, and Ban Sen, while others are as small as miniature mountains. In Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, there are thousands of limestone islands, originally karst landscapes eroded by water to create countless shapes on the outside, and fascinating caves inside. The coastal and island areas of Quang Ninh, in addition to alluvial plains, also feature white sand beaches formed by the waves, creating wonderful swimming spots such as Tra Co, Quan Lan, Minh Chau, and Ngoc Vung…

Besides its natural landscapes, Quang Ninh is also home to more than 600 fascinating historical, cultural, and spiritual relics such as Truc Lam - Yen Tu, the Tran Dynasty relic site in Dong Trieu, Bach Dang stake field in Quang Yen, Cua Ong Temple in Cam Pha, etc.

Thanks to this invaluable tourism resource, in recent years, the number of tourists visiting Quang Ninh has continuously grown strongly, reaching a level ten times greater than the province's population.

Impressive numbers

In 2018, Quang Ninh welcomed over 12.2 million visitors, including 5.2 million international tourists, accounting for one-third of the total international visitors to Vietnam (15.5 million). Tourism growth reached 24% compared to 2017.

In the first eight months of 2019, Quang Ninh province welcomed 10.5 million tourists, reaching 75% of the plan, an increase of 14% (compared to the same period in 2018), of which international tourists accounted for 3.7 million.

Focus on sustainable development and green tourism.

Implementing a strategy to make tourism a key economic sector with the goal of elevating its heritage status, Quang Ninh is finalizing the planning system for four key tourism centers, including: the Uong Bi, Dong Trieu, and Quang Yen area - with spiritual and cultural tourism as the main product; the Ha Long City and surrounding areas - with scenic, cultural, shopping, and entertainment tourism as the main product; the Van Don and Co To area - with spiritual, island, and entertainment tourism as the main product; and the Mong Cai area - with beach tourism combined with border trade. In addition, Quang Ninh is simultaneously developing new tourism spaces in Hai Ha, Co To, Cam Pha, Hoanh Bo, Tien Yen, Binh Lieu, etc., to create a diverse system of tourism products serving target markets such as Europe, Northeast Asia, North America, South Asia, and the Middle East.

Quang Ninh province has also identified sustainable tourism development linked to conservation efforts, implementing many flexible measures to strengthen the management, preservation, restoration, and enhancement of historical sites and heritage. The province prioritizes increasing the value of conservation areas through participation in ASEAN Heritage Park projects for Bai Tu Long National Park; submitting the Yen Tu complex of historical sites and scenic spots to UNESCO for consideration and recognition as a World Heritage site; establishing new marine conservation areas in Co To and Tran Island; promoting the investigation and establishment of new nature reserves and recognizing RAMSAR sites as proposed in the province's environmental plan in wetland areas in Quang Yen, Tien Yen, Mong Cai, etc.

At the same time, to avoid negative impacts on the environment from tourism development, Quang Ninh focuses on investing resources in developing green tourism, implementing environmentally friendly solutions, and establishing an environmental protection plan until 2020, with a vision to 2030. Before investment, projects must prepare environmental impact assessment reports and environmental protection commitments. Units in the province with large wastewater discharges all apply advanced technologies in wastewater treatment, and carry out the collection, transportation, and treatment of waste in urban areas, industrial zones, economic zones, production and business establishments, and vessels operating at sea…

In addition, the province has attracted foreign businesses and received support from international organizations to implement a series of environmental protection projects in Ha Long Bay, such as the Green Bay project in collaboration with GreenHub to reduce plastic pollution in the sea and manage waste in the Cat Ba archipelago and Ha Long city; and tourism support projects from JICA…

Mission objectives

In 2020: the country welcomed 15-16 million visitors, including 7 million international tourists.

By 2030: welcoming 30 million tourists, including 15 million international visitors.

Unleashing the potential of coastal and border tourism.

With the advantage of the Ha Long International Cruise Port capable of accommodating cruise ships carrying thousands of people, and being a province with both land and sea borders adjacent to China, Quang Ninh has a great advantage in attracting international tourists, focusing on the Northeast Asian market: China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan; and the European, Australian, and ASEAN markets...

Over the years, Quang Ninh province and Guangxi province (China) have developed comprehensive cooperation and exchange in many aspects, including tourism. According to the Quang Ninh Department of Tourism, Chinese tourists account for a significant share (approximately 40%) of the total number of international tourists in Quang Ninh. The promotion of tourism development cooperation continues to be actively pursued, both by sea and land.

Quang Ninh also actively participates in international tourism fairs and events, such as KOFA (South Korea), ITF (Taiwan), JATA (Japan), MITT (Russia), WTM (UK), etc., to promote the province's tourism and help tourism businesses in the province update information on services, introduce products, promote their image, and find partners. In particular, the commissioning of the Ha Long International Cruise Port has opened up great opportunities to attract international tourists by sea.

Ms. Huong Tran Kieu Dung, Vice Chairwoman of the Board of Directors and General Director of FLC Group

Built on former coal mining areas of Quang Ninh, FLC's infrastructure projects are considered to have transformed barren, desolate areas into top destinations, contributing to increasing land value and promoting the development of the tourism industry.

As one of the strategic investors in Quang Ninh with a series of large-scale projects in various fields, FLC Group aims to create a complete and synchronized ecosystem to serve the needs of the community and tourists, not only making a mark for the business but also contributing to shaping the brand of Quang Ninh tourism, aiming for the position of a regional and international tourism center.

Mr. Le Trong Thanh, Deputy General Director of Tung Lam Development Joint Stock Company

Quang Ninh is known for its enormous tourism potential. For sustainable tourism development in Quang Ninh, we need to focus more on nature conservation and the development of cultural values, as well as further improving service quality. This will build a strong and robust service sector.

We have invested considerable intellectual effort and time in inviting leading experts and contractors in related fields to advise and implement the company's projects, such as the Yen Tu Cable Car Project and the Truc Lam Cultural Center Project. Our projects focus on promoting and developing the community while ensuring the protection of the project's environmental landscape. In the future, we will focus on building a sustainable tourism community, with significant participation and contribution from local resources; continuing to strengthen and develop the current project both in depth and breadth. In particular, the development and promotion of cultural values ​​and the building of a local tourism community will be prioritized to transform Yen Tu into an international destination in Quang Ninh and spread the beautiful values ​​of nature, culture, and history to tourists.

Quynh Le