Endowed with natural advantages for sea and island tourism, the northeastern province of Quang Ninh is working to promote its tourism brand abroad and become an international tourism hub by 2030.

Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh province.

The province has called for investment in infrastructure projects and mobilised resources for key tourism services like ports, wharfs, accommodations, high-end resorts and entertainment complexes, among others.

An array of projects have created a new look for the province, including BIM Group’s 230-hectare Ha Long Marina urban area. The group earmarked USD 2 billion for the complex, which comprises Halong Marine Plaza shopping centre, a CGV cinema, a children’s entertainment zone, beaches, pools, apartment blocks and rows of shop houses and townhouses.

Meanwhile, the 214-hectare Sun World Ha Long Complex developed by SunGroup has become one of the main local tourist attractions. Riding a sea-crossing cable line or the 215m-high Sun Wheel in the complex, visitors can enjoy the view of Ha Long Bay, Ha Long city, Bai Chay bridge and Cuu Luc river.

Real estate developer Vingroup has invested in different types of properties in Ha Long, ranging from healthcare, resorts and shopping malls to new urban areas. Following the opening of its Vincom shopping mall in 2015, the group has poured more than VND 12 trillion (USD 528 million) into the 64ha Vinhomes Dragon Bay urban area and VND 1.135 trillion (USD 49.94 million) in the 384-room Vinpearl Ha Long resort. The group is also building a Vinmec hospital in the city.

FLC Group has also given a facelift to the city with its FLC Ha Long complex with a golf course, villas, condotels and a modern international conventional centre spanning 224 hectares in Hong Hai, Hong Ha, Ha Lam and Ha Trung wards. The group plans to construct a 50-storey twin tower complex in the city’s centre.

According to Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Long, Quang Ninh has been successful in attracting investors by removing bottlenecks in administrative procedures. The investors have significantly contributed to changing the face of Quang Ninh’s tourism.

Under the Overall Plan for Tourism Development, the province prioritises developing two projects, namely Van Don International Airport and a resort complex with a casino.

Along with expanding the sea and island eco-tourism area of Van Don, Co To and Mong Cai, the province is branching out tourism products like Yen Duc countryside tourism, Binh Lieu eco-tourism, discovering Ha Long Bay by kayaks and seaplanes and Ha Long Park.

Also, tourism promotion campaigns in key markets like China, Japan, Singapore and the UK have been paid due attention, coupled with human resource training in line with the standards set by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Local tourism has created a lasting impression on both domestic and foreign investors. They said they were impressed by the excellent products, vibrant cultural activities and hospitable and professional tour guides.

Last year, some 9.87 million tourists visited the province, including 4.28 million foreigners. More than 70 per cent of the tourists took in sea and island tours. The province raked in nearly VND 18 trillion (USD 792 million) from tourism.

In the first five months of the year, the province served more than 7 million visitors, including 2.5 million foreigners. It expects to welcome 12 million holidaymakers by the end of this year, 5 million of them are foreigners.

The province has a coastline of more than 250 kilometres and some 2,000 islets, two-thirds of the total in Vietnam. The spectacular stretch of coast connects the UNESCO-recognised World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay with majestic natural scenery, Bai Tu Long Bay, Van Don and Co To islands and Tra Co beach with Cat Ba National Park in the northern port city of Hai Phong./.

VNF/VNA