Hanoi (VNA) – The tourism sector inthe north-eastern border province of Quang Ninh has been growing rapidly,gradually affirming its brand and position in an effort to turn the localityinto one of the biggest tourism centers nationwide.

Currently, the province has been speeding up theimplementation of important projects such as Ha Long – Hai Phong expressway,Bac Luan II bridge, Van Don international airport, Van Don economic zone, HaLong – Van Don and Van Don – Mong Cai highways, FLC Ha Long golf course andresort, Quang Hanh mineral hot spring resort, among others. Some projects willbe put into operation at the end of this year or in early 2018.

Apart from strong investment in transport andtourism infrastructure, the province has raised a large amount of externalcapital.

The overall plan on developing Quang Ninh tourism by 2020 and with a visiontoward 2030 has made positive impacts on local tourism activities via attractinga series of new investment projects from strategic partners such as BIM Group,Vingroup, Sun Group, My Way, Tuan Chau and FLC. The active investment intourism products from such businesses has brought facelift to the local tourismindustry.

With strong determination to develop tourism,the Executive Board of the provincial Party Committee has promulgated an actionplan implementing the Politburo’s Resolution No 08-NQ/TW dated January 16,2017, on developing tourism into a spearhead economy by 2030.

Being favoured by nature with a range ofstunning landscapes, clear turquoise sea and spectacular limestone pillarstogether with numerous tourism investment projects, Quang Ninh boasts hugepotential to develop sustainable green tourism.

Quang Ninh has a coastline of more than 250kilometres and over 2,000 islets which account for two-thirds of the totalnumber in Vietnam. The spectacular stretch of coast connects theUNESCO-recognised World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay with majestic naturalscenery, Bai Tu Long Bay, Van Don and Co To islands and Tra Co beach with CatBa National Park in the northern port city of Hai Phong.

Ha Long Bay, Cat Ba island and Do Son beach (HaiPhong city) are prioritised to develop into national tourism sites. 

Along with the renowned Ha Long Bay, Quan Lan,Minh Chau, Ngoc Vung, Dai beaches in Van Don island district and Tra Co andVinh Thuc in Mong Cai city have grown in stature among domestic andinternational tourists thanks to their breathtaking sea and coral reef.

By 2020, Quang Ninh aims to welcome 15-16million tourists, including seven million foreigners, and rake in 30-40trillion VND (1.3-1.7 billion USD) in revenue. The tourism sector is expectedto contribute 14-15 percent to the gross regional domestic product (GRDP). 

In 2016, Quang Ninh greeted 8.3 million touristarrivals, a year-on-year increase of 7 percent, and earned over 13 trillion VND(571 million USD) in revenue, up 23 percent, according to the Quang NinhDepartment of Tourism. 

Particularly, the world natural heritage site ofHa Long Bay welcomed 6.3 million tourists and grossed 7.7 trillion VND (over338 million USD) in revenue, representing respective increases of 14 percentand 65 percent from the previous year. About 2.7 million of the visitors wereforeigners, a year-on-year growth of 16 percent. -VNA