Ha Long city rises from services, tourism

Ha Long International Cruise Port (Photo: VNA)

Ha Long city of the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh, located on the banks of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay, is still a popular tourist attraction with nearly 7.15 million visitors in the first eight months of this year, up 22 percent year on year.

In the period, the city earned 14 trillion VND from tourism, showing the high efficiency of the city’s investment in the service and tourism sector.

Boasting abundant potential for tourism development, Ha Long has long been an ideal destination for holidaymakers. One of the highlights is Ha Long Bay, which has been recognised twice by UNESCO as a global heritage site for its landscape and geological value.

This year, the bay was labelled as one of the most mentioned global cruise destinations on Instagram by British magazine Woman and Home.

It was also listed among the 25 most beautiful places around the world by the US’s Cable News Network (CNN), and among the most popular attractions in Asia according to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.

To optimise the tourism potential, every year, the city has built a yearly working plan with tasks and measures focusing on building a civilised and friendly city.

In 2016, the city concentrated on building a cultured lifestyle and urban landscape, while improving the quality, responsibility and efficiency of public servants’ operation, towards turning Ha Long into a friendly and cultured city.

In 2017, the city focused on tightening administrative principles and disciplines, continuing to improve the city’s landscape and build a civilised and friendly tourism environment.

The theme for 2018 was protecting and improving the quality of the natural environment and building a smart city, while that of 2019 is increasing the quality and efficiency of services, and promoting the building of a green, clean and smart city.

Alongside, the city has launched tourism projects, including those on developing the city centre with a focus on Bai Tho mountain, promoting Ha Long city’s tourism products, preserving and developing the cultural value of fishing villages in Ha Long Bay, piloting a model road of Ha Long in Cai Dam area of Bai Chay ward, and strengthening the quality and management of tourism boats operating in Ha Long Bay.

During the implementation process, Ha Long city has made planning public in order to attractinvestment in service-tourism sectors to create new products.

The city has prioritized developing the network of entertainment, shopping, restaurant and port facilities, while fostering linkage with other localities as well as businesses to promote the efficiency of communications works such as the Van Don International Airport, highways, inland waterway ports and seaports.

One of the most obvious changes seen in the city over the year is the infrastructure system, which has contributed to promoting Ha Long city’s tourism development.

Regarding connection with the outside, the city has developed highways and the first specialised passenger port of the country, locatedbetween Van Don International Airport and Cat Bi Airport of Hai Phong city.

Both domestic and foreign investors have considered Ha Long city a promising land with high opportunities of gaining profit. They have launched many infrastructure, tourism and service projects in the locality.

Tourism products of Ha Long have been built in accordance with specific areas, creating diverse and connected chains.

Ha Long tourism has been renovated in both performance and quality, resulting in new breakthroughs in the restructuring of other economic sectors.

Tourism activities and the number of visitors in the city saw sharp rises in the first eight months of this year, almost completing the target set in Resolution 05-NQ/TU of the city for 2020 of welcoming 8 million tourists.

The result is considered a great success of Ha Long city in transforming the growth model from “brown” to “green” in conformity with the planning and development orientation of the Government and the province.