(VNF) - Vietnam’s northern province of Ninh Binh has been listed at the first position in the 50 best spots to visit in 2018 by U.S. travel site Insider.

The honor reflects the province’s mesmerising mix of rivers, limestone cliffs and paddy fields.

Located 90km to the south of Hanoi, Ninh Binh is often overlooked by tourists. It is sometimes referred to as “Ha Long Bay on land”, given the green mountains that rise out of its paddy fields.

Ninh Bình was one of the three locations for the movie Kong: Skull Island, one of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters of 2017.

Insider suggests visitors try the full experience by gliding along the river that runs between paddy fields in a traditional boat, explore caves in Cuc Phuong National Park, and visit ancient temples and palaces in the area.

Ninh Binh Province is estimated to receive more than 7 million visitors in 2017, earning a turnover of nearly VND 2.5 trillion (USD 110 million).

The province is drafting a tourism master plan until 2025 with vision to 2030. Under the plan, tourism will become a key economic sector of the province by 2025. The province aims to receive 6.7 million visitors this year and 7.6 million visitors by 2020, reaching revenue of VND 3 trillion (USD 132 million). Last year the province welcomed 6.5 million visitors, earning revenue of over VND 1.7 trillion (USD 74.8 million).

Pham Duy Phong, Director of the Ninh Binh Tourism Promotion Information Centre, said that Ninh Binh Province is an increasing favorite destination for many tourists in Vietnam. It is land of renowned landscapes, historical relics, traditional trade villages, and varied cuisine. One particularly notable site is the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, an UNESCO-recognised World Heritage Site in Vietnam.

Ninh Binh is often overlooked by tourists.

According to industry insiders, the Ninh Binh tourism industry should pay more attention to developing souvenirs, persifying local specialties to meet visitors’ different tastes and seeking effective solutions to the issue of overcharging of food and fees.

Nguyen Quy Phuong, head of the travel industry department under the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism, said the provincial tourism sector should be concerned about promoting itself to the international market. He also suggested the province invest in its infrastructure and human resources to develop tourism sustainably.

Bui Thanh Dong, General Director of Ninh Binh Province’s Department of Tourism, said that the province is persifying souvenirs by researching and introducing new ones, such as duplicates of Thai Binh Hung Bao coins, the first coin in Vietnam. He added that the sector will co-operate with related industries to enhance the tourism services of the province and offer favorable conditions to travel agencies.

Besides Ninh Binh, the Insider’s 2018 list spans Europe and includes some of the world’s biggest cities, such as Buenos Aires, Chicago, London, Mexico, New Orleans and New York. In Asia, it recommends Singapore, Sichuan in mainland China, Indonesia’s Raja Ampat Islands and Taipei (China)./.

VNF