Authorities in the northern province of Quang Ninh have announced that 18 luxury cruise ships will bring tourists to Ha Long beginning late this month, signaling a busy year-end season.
Ha Long Bay seen from above. Photo by VnExpress/Phuong Anh
The first cruise vessel is expected to dock in Ha Long Bay on October 27, and the other upcoming vessels would arrive in November and December, the provincial Department of Tourism said.
Currently, the number of international visitors onboard each vessel has not been officially released.
Local authorities said the foreign tourists would visit UNESCO heritage site Ha Long Bay, the Quang Ninh Museum, and explore local culture and cuisine on a city tour.
Last March, the Malta-flagged Mein Schiff 5 cruise ship carried 2,400 German tourists to Ha Long, which is famous for tours through its thousands of limestone karst islands.
According to the Quang Ninh Department of Tourism, there were about 100 luxury international cruise ships with each carrying 150,000 – 180,000 foreign tourists to Ha Long Bay before the pandemic.
A series of luxury cruise ships carrying thousands of international visitors have docked at Vietnamese ports since the beginning of this year as tourism gradually picks up steam.
Vietnam has received 8 million foreign tourists so far, and striving to receive 12 million foreign arrivals by the end of this year.
Theaureview.com – a leading independent music and arts publication in Australia – has run a writing titled “Vietnam: A land of beauty and welcome surprises”, emphasing Vietnam is a popular tourist destination known for its stunning landscapes, historic sites, and cultural attractions.
Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and popular travel destination in the northern province of Quang Ninh.
According to the site that is run by a team of emerging writers and photographers who talk about the music, art, film, food, lifestyle and more, Vietnam has a diverse geography that includes mountains, deltas, and coastal areas.
In central Vietnam, the land is only 50 to 80 km wide, the flexible supporting bar, as it were, if the north and south are viewed graphically as bamboo baskets. However, the rugged mountain terrain means that traversing this narrow part can take several hours.
After a direct flight from Sydney, then a short connecting flight from Ho Chi Minh City, visitors arrive coastal Nha Trang city in Khanh Hoa province where there are plenty of local experiences to try. Boat cruises, temple visits, countryside cooking classes, and rooftop cocktail bars are just a few of the many attractions in the region.
Specifically, the Vietnamese cuisine is renowned for its fresh ingredients, vibrant flavours, and use of herbs and spices. Dishes like pho (noodle soup) and banh mi (sandwich) are popular worldwide.
The site mentions a small village homestay, surrounded by rice fields, outside of Nha Trang that specialises in teaching traditional Vietnamese cuisine. Visitors can learn how to roll their own rice paper rolls.
The freshness of food is a recurring theme. They can see tanks of live eels and king prawns ready to serve, and often the fruits, spices and herbs are locally grown.
Another popular tourist destination in Nha Trang is the Po Nagar Cham Hindu temples – an important part of the culture, overlooking the harbour and dating back to the 7th century. They are remarkably preserved, considering their age and the monsoonal seasons that frequent this region. These towers are dedicated to the goddess Po and there is a steady stream of people making offerings and prayers inside these remarkable temples.
Hoi An Ancient town is located in Vietnam”s central Quang Nam province.
It is noted that the capital of Vietnam is Hanoi but the country’s largest city is Ho Chi Minh City, with approximately 10 million residents and transient workers.
The French influence is obvious in many of the public buildings. Even private residences are decorated in traditional French colonial style. About an hour south of Ho Chi Minh City is the Mekong River, the world’s largest inland fishery. Visitors can explore the coconut production along the delta. Cruising along the river in a long boat, whilst eating fresh dragon fruit, mango and rambutan, they can learn about the regional coconut production.
“Vietnam is a land of contrasts and surprises, from local farmhouses to the most cosmopolitan hotels and restaurants,” the writing concludes.
The Vietnam-China International Trade Fair is scheduled to take place in Mong Cai city from December 8-15.
Mong Cai city is an attractive destination for investors.
The information was released at the meeting held by the provincial People’s Committee to discuss preparatory tasks for the event.
The annual fair is held alternately in Mong Cai and Dongxing city in the Chinese province of Guangxi under a cooperation agreement.
The fair is an important event to promote trade connectivity and stimulate business and investment. This year’s fair will return after three years of hiatus, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 400 booths will be set up, including 300 booths from the Vietnamese side and 100 booths owned by Chinese businesses.
Diverse goods will be showcased such as agricultural, forestry and aquatic products, food, medicinal herbs, machinery and equipment, raw materials, chemicals, construction materials, electrical appliances, household appliances, consumer goods, furniture, and handicrafts.
The fair will also feature other activities, including a business matching between Chinese importers and Vietnamese enterprises, a conference on economic and trade cooperation , a forum on investment attraction policies, logistics, and import and export activities between Vietnam and China, field trips to some tourist attractions in Mong Cai, International Golf Tournament, etc.
Over the past years, Quang Ninh Province has made efforts to accelerate economic restructuring from a “brown” to a “green” economy, gradually reducing industries that are heavily dependent on mineral resources, and have a major impact on the environment, promoting smart and environmentally friendly industries.
Deploying investment in Thanh Cong Viet Hung automotive and auxiliary industry thematic complex in Viet Hung Industrial Park.
Quang Ninh is determined to promote the processing and manufacturing industry to become one of the three main pillars of the industry, the driving force for the province”s economic development in the 2020-2025 period, with a vision to 2030.
In September 2020, at Viet Hung Industrial Park, Ha Long City, Quang Ninh Province, the groundbreaking ceremony of Thanh Cong Viet Hung automotive and auxiliary industry thematic complex, was held by Thanh Cong Group (TC Group). The deployment of this complex has an important meaning in implementing the policy of attracting processing and manufacturing industry projects using modern, intelligent and environmentally friendly technologies; creating products with high added value; contributing to the total state budget revenue, and developing the economy in the sustainable direction.
The processing and manufacturing industry has been identified by Quang Ninh Province as one of the important economic sectors, driving the growth of the entire industry. Along with that, the province focuses on accelerating the implementation of breakthroughs in transport infrastructure, administrative reform, developing human resources in both quantity and quality and actively shifting the labour structure following the direction of transforming the growth model and restructuring the economy.
Secretary of the Quang Ninh Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Xuan Ky said that the province’s viewpoint and orientation is to develop quickly and sustainably, the processing and manufacturing industry, with a focus on different potentials and outstanding opportunities, competitive advantages of the province and in regions, localities, economic zones, and industrial parks, especially preferential mechanisms in economic zones, to develop industrial parks and processing and manufacturing industry projects.
The province develops processing and manufacturing industries associated with the development of sustainable industrial parks, according to the “three in one” model, including: Industrial park, urban area, service area with technical infrastructure system and synchronous and modern social infrastructure, creating a civilized and modern safe working environment and living environment, creating jobs, improving the quality of human resources and increasing incomes for employees and the quality of life for the people.
To date, there have been 14 secondary investment projects operating in production and business in Viet Hung Industrial Park, including seven FDI projects and seven domestic projects, with a total registered investment capital of more than 95.9 million USD and more than 10,000 billion VND, creating jobs for about 5,600 workers. The project occupancy rate in the industrial park reached 47%.
Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien affirmed: The technological and commercial cooperation agreements between TC Motor and Skoda Auto to produce, assemble and distribute cars in the Vietnamese market, are large projects, consistent with the strategy for Vietnam’s automobile industry development through 2025, with a vision toward 2035.
According to economic experts, Quang Ninh has many advantages to develop strongly and surpass the processing industry, and manufacturing when there is a system of seaports, logistics services, industrial parks, and highways, especially a system of bilateral border gates with China, forming a closed chain and link.
Quang Ninh will prioritize attracting selective industrial projects, high-tech manufacturing, and smart industries, which are environmentally friendly, with great added value, modern management, and economical use, land and resource efficiency, contributing greatly to GRDP growth and budget revenue.
At the same time, the province will closely combine rapid and sustainable development of processing and manufacturing industries, with attracting high-quality human resources and skilled workers.
Up to now, the province has put into operation many key transport infrastructure projects, such as the Van Don-Mong Cai expressway, connecting the Hanoi-Hai Phong-Ha Long-Van Don expressway, the Ha Long – Cam Pha coastal road and Cua Luc 1 bridge which connects the two sides of Ha Long city, contributing to completing infrastructure, creating opportunities for industries and economies to have new development steps.
Along with that, the province focuses on developing industrial parks and economic zones according to orientation, following planning, and exploiting strengths.
With outstanding potential, opportunities, and competitive advantages, Quang Ninh built mechanisms and policies to develop industry clusters and support industrial value chains, encouraging businesses to invest in innovation and design, equipped in the direction of advanced, modern, high-technology and green development. At the same time, the province has improved the effectiveness and efficiency of state management; administrative reform, improving an open business and investment environment, facilitating the development of processing and manufacturing industries, becoming one of the three pillars of economic development of the province.
Recently, within the framework of his official visit to Vietnam, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala visited the Thanh Cong Viet Hung automobile and support industry complex at Viet Hung Industrial Park, Quang Ninh Province. This is one of the key projects of the auto industry that is receiving attention from both the Government of Vietnam and the Czech Republic.
Thanh Cong Viet Hung Automobile Factory – the place that produces and assembles Skoda brand cars, invested by TC Group – was built on an area of 36.5 hectares, with a capacity of 120,000 vehicles per year. The entire production and assembly line applies Skoda Auto’s leading modern and advanced technologies, meeting European standards, with a high level of automation, expected to launch in the Vietnamese market, at the end of 2024, or early 2025.
In September 2023, the Skoda brand will be officially launched in Vietnam with two completely imported Kodiaq and Karoq SUV models, followed by Superb and Octavia in 2024 and an all-electric model. ENYAQ iV is also planned to be imported to Vietnam after 2025.
Up to now, the total capital attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) in Quang Ninh Province reached 724.63 million USD. Total capital attracted from domestic and foreign budgets reached more than 45,304.26 billion VND. Quang Ninh is the only locality in the country to hold the top position for the second time in all four important indexes PCI, PAR Index, PAPI, and SIPAS.
During three days from September 1-3, the total number of visitors to Quang Ninh Province was estimated at 318,000 (150% over the same period in 2022, with 19,000 international arrivals (448% over the same period in 2022) and 132,000 stay guests (126% over the same period last year). The total revenue from tourism was estimated at 665 trillion VND (27.6 billion USD).
Experiential and ecological tourist attractions on Co To island attract tourists during the holidays.
In particular, Ha Long Bay welcomed about 39,000 visitors, including 9,6 internationals. Meanwhile, Yen Tu relic site and Ba Vang Pagoda received about 5,000 and 8,000 tourists, respectively.
About 18,400 visitors came to Quang Ninh Museum and about 42,000 visited the ocean park. Chinese tourists entering through Mong Cai border gate reached 9,417 turns.
Ha Long Bay welcomed a large number of visitors on September 2.
On September 3 alone, the total number of visitors to Quang Ninh was estimated to reach 86,000, including 6,392 foreigners and 35,000 stay guests. The total revenue from tourism was about 178 billion VND (nearly 7.4 million USD).
In particular, 11,834 tourists, including 3,334 foreigners, visited Ha Long Bay; 12,000 people visited the ocean park and 6,500 guests came to Quang Ninh Museum. Chinese tourists entering through Mong Cai border gate reached 3,058 turns.
The number of visitors to Co To Island District recorded a sudden increase compared to normal days.
During the National Day holidays (from August 31 to September 3), Co To island district welcomed about 6,000 visitors, including around 12,000 stay guests.
The number of visitors to Yen Tu relic site increased sharply during the holidays.
Although the number of tourists during the holidays was higher than normal days, Quang Ninh Province and other localities have proactively prepare conditions to serve tourists and people to prevent congestion and ensure security, order, food hygiene and safety and environmental sanitation, bringing satisfaction and goof impression for visitors.
The northern province of Quang Ninh has welcomed 28 Indian visitors according to the tradition of Islamism, proving its professionalism in organizing Halal tourism activities.
Indian tourists at Delasea hotel in Quang Ninh Province, Aug. 23, 2023. Photo by VNA
Le Thanh Tam, director of Delasea hotel which is hosting the Muslim visitors, said that in order to welcome the guests in a professional manner, the hotel has invited experts to train its staff. The hotel has organized separate stairs, room floors, a restaurant and a chef with high standards to fully meet the needs of the travelers.
A representative from the Quang Ninh Tourism Department said that in mid-September, the province will hold a conference on the expansion of the Muslim market and Halal tourism as well as the enhancement of service quality for this group of tourists.
In the coming time, if the number of Muslim tourists increases, the province will encourage hotels to invest in their infrastructure to meet the visitors” demands.
Amid a fall in the number of visitors from China and European countries, travel firms are seeking new tourism markets, including Islamic countries.
The locality is focusing on building the infrastructure system, accommodations and destinations friendly to Muslim tourists.
According to the provincial Tourism Department, in the first seven months of 2023, Quang Ninh welcomed 10.8 million visitors. This year, the province, home to Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO-recognized Natural Heritage Site, aims to serve at least 15 million visitors.
Local people in Quang Yen town say that hundreds of white storks have recently come to live in the mangrove area of Tan An ward. This can be seen as a good signal for the improvement of the ecological environment in the locality.
Quang Ninh aims to make its tourism a spearhead and sustainable economic sector by 2030, attracting at least 25.5-26 million visitors, including about 9 million foreigners.
Ha Long Bay
This is part of a newly-approved project on the province’s tourism recovery and sustainable development to 2025, with orientations to 2030.
Quang Ninh is aiming to receive at least 2024 million tourists by 16, including at least 3 million international tourists. By 2025, Quang Ninh”s tourism will switch to a strong development stage, striving to receive about 17,5 million visitors, including at least 4,5 million international visitors.
In particular, by 2030, Quang Ninh tourism will truly develop into a spearhead and sustainable economic sector. At that time, Quang Ninh will affirm its role as a tourism center connecting the region and the world, a leading tourist destination of the country, striving to receive at least 25,5-26 million visitors. tourism, including at least 8,6-9 million international tourists; the average growth rate of tourists in the period 2025-2030 will reach 10-11%/year.
To achieve the targets, Quang Ninh will develop tourism towards green and sustainable growth, associated with the conservation and promotion of traditional cultural values; contribute to maintaining national security and border sovereignty; and ensure social order and safety.
The province will also develop a variety of tourism products and forms based on the value of the world natural heritage of Ha Long Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay, and other outstanding local tourism resources.
Thanh Lan island, belonging to Thanh Lan commune, is the largest island in Co To district with an area of 27 km2, about 4 km from the big Co To island. On the island, there are about 1,200 people living mainly by fishing.
Thanh Lan island commune
Thanh Lan island has great potentials for tourism development because it possesses various untouched beautiful beaches.
The largest and most beautiful beach on the island is Ba Chau, about 4 km from the headquarters of Thanh Lan Commune People”s Committee. The beach has a 1.5 km- long sandy beach, an ideal place for swimming and camping.
To the right of Ba Chau beach, there is also a rocky beach with many strange shapes for visitors to freely check in “virtual life”.
Thanh Lan island has great potentials for tourism development because it possesses various untouched beautiful beaches.
The farthest beach is Hai Quan in village 3. To get here, you will pass through a 7 km long road with one side is the blue sea, the other is the primeval forest.
On the way to Hai Quan beach, you can stay at Vung Tron beach. To get to the beach, you will have to walk through a winding trail nearly 400 meters through the forest.
The pristine beach will appear after you cross the forest. The relaxing space here is enough for you to quickly forget the feeling of fatigue.
In addition to swimming, snorkeling and watching corals is a unique experience built into a tourism brand by the Thanh Lan island commune government.
Under the clear blue sea, the beautiful coral reefs of Thanh Lan Island and enough marine species will give you many experiences.
On the island, there are 7 accommodation establishments with 100 rooms. To move to the island, you can rent a motorbike for 200,000 VND a day. If you go in a large group, you can rent an electric car for 800,000 VND for a destination, of 10 people.
You can also find new experiences when visiting the homestays, get a deep understanding of the local life and enjoy the fresh air that the crowded city does not have.
With many beautiful islands, white sandy beaches, Van Don is a favorite destination for tourists who wish to relax and explore.
Van Don is home to surprisingly beautiful beaches.
Located about 50km from Ha Long city, Van Don island district embracing Bai Tu Long Bay is known as the tourist destination of eco-tourism and adventure.
Coming here in the summer, visitors are daydreaming on scenic vistas of the sea, the blue mountains with 600 islands reflecting an amazing picture on water in Bai Tu Long Bay. Van Don has the wonderful natural beauty, rich marine products and people are hospitable, which creates a “summer tourist paradise” for tourists.
Perceived of many people to Van Don is a wild beauty, very suitable for eco-tourism. A cruise boats often go through between these green islands and continuous mountains with green leaves of the tree. In the early morning, when the sun rises, it creates magical colors, gentle scenery.
The primitive beauty of Quan Lan beach
Van Don has also been named in the list of home to beautiful beaches in the northern region such as Quan Lan, Minh Chau, Ngoc Vung, and Bai Dai.
Notably, Bai Dai (Long Beach) is an untamed treasure of Van Don. The spot appeals to visitors with its pristine beauty which is becoming harder and harder to find at more touristy beaches. The long, white-sand beach offers crystal-clear seawater for optimal visibility of the underwater world. From Bai Dai, one can look farther toward the picturesque Bai Tu LonVisitors can also take advantage of the island’s entertainment, including kayaking, jet-skiing, tennis, and beach volleyball.
Minh Chau Beach is also an ideal spot for travel enthusiasts. Thousands of holidaymakers flock there every year to enjoy their vacation.
About 15 kilometers from Minh Chau Beach is Quan Lan Beach, which is dubbed one of the ten most beautiful beaches in Vietnam and is also a favorite destination of both locals and international tourists. Looking over Bai Tu Long Bay, Quan Lan Beach is blessed with smooth, white sands, transparent blue seas, high waves, a peaceful atmosphere, and fresh air.
These places are an ideal getaway for people wanting to escape the hustle of the city and their daily worries.
