Quang Ninh, Ha Giang foster tourism in the South hinh anh 1A bird's eye view of Ha Long Bay in the northern province of Quang Ninh. (Photo: VNA)

HCM City (VNA) –
Quang Ninh and Ha Giang hosted promotional events in Ho Chi Minh City on July 17 to boost the number of tourist visits to the two northern provinces.

In its event, the northeastern coastal province of Quang Ninh introduced local support policies and solutions to stimulate tourism to travel agencies and tour operators from southern cities and provinces.

Vu Anh Thu from the provincial Department of Tourism gave an overview of popular attractions in Quang Ninh, notably the World’s Natural Heritage Ha Long Bay, the Complex of Yen Tu Monuments and Landscapes, and the Quang Ninh Museum.

Now visitors can easily reach Quang Ninh by air, sea and land with the launches of Van Don International Airport, Ha Long international cruise ship terminal and expressways connecting Hanoi and Ha Long city, Thu said, adding that travel time from Hanoi to Ha Long was reduced to about an hour and a half.

The province is emerging as an attractive destination for international Meeting, Incentive, Conference and Event (MICE) tourism, according to local officials. The province has been making many efforts to lure strategic investors, both at home and overseas, to invest in its tourism and hospitality sectors.

Thu revealed that Quang Ninh will offer free admission to tourists to the Complex of Yen Tu Monuments and Landscapes, Quang Ninh Museum and Ha Long Bay on National Day (September 2) and several other public days.
 
With a coastline of more than 250 kilometres and more than 2,000 islands and islets which account for two-thirds of the total number in Vietnam, Quang Ninh boasts great potential for sea-based tourism development

The northeastern province is home to popular destinations such as Ha Long Bay, Bai Tu Long, Ha Long Bay National Park and some islands.

In particular, Ha Long Bay literally “descending dragon bay”, was twice recognised as a World Natural Heritage site by UNESCO in 1994 and 2000.

The bay spans 1,553 square kilometres and includes 1,969 islands of various sizes. It features thousands of limestone karsts and islets in various shapes and sizes. The limestone in the bay has gone through 500 million years of formation in different conditions and environments.

The geo-diversity of the environment has created biodiversity, including a tropical evergreen biosystem, oceanic and sea biosystem.
 

In 2018, Ha Long Bay made it into the top 15 Instagrammed global cruise destinations based on a survey of 1.8 million posts tagged on various ships and ports by travel cruise site SeaHub.

In 2019, British travel magazine Rough Guides included Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay in its selection of the 100 most beautiful places to visit next year.

In the Rough Guides to the 100 Best Places on Earth, the magazine describes “the scattering of limestone pinnacles jutting out of the smooth waters of Ha Long Bay”, around four hours east of Hanoi, as an “incredible sight”.

Most recently in 2020, Ha Long Bay was named amongst the 50 most beautiful natural wonders on Earth selected by US-based magazine Insider.

Meanwhile, the Ha Giang event aimed to promote tourism in the southern and Central Highlands localities.

To revive the tourism industry, the northern mountainous province is pressing ahead with preparation for a host of major events this year, promising travellers with various exciting experiences, such as festivals promoting local terraced fields and Tam Giac Mach (buckwheat flower).

Several hotels from Ha Giang took the occasion to sign agreements with travel agencies and tour operators from Ho Chi Minh City to foster tourism cooperation./.
VNA