Illustrative image. (Source: VNA)Quang Ninh (VNA) – The service industry in the northeastern border province is estimated to grow by 14.2 percent this year thanks to the locality’s concrete actions to boost its tourism services.
The sector accounts for 42.9 percent of Quang Ninh’s economy this year, compared to 41.2 percent of 2017. Its contribution to the State budget increases 16 percent year on year.
The province aims to raise the percentage of the service sector to 48 – 49 percent of the local economy, with an annual expansion rate of 13 – 14 percent by 2020.
To this end, local authorities have taken steps to enhance tourism service management in a bid improve its quality and competitiveness; while drastically promoting its brands.
From 2016 – 2017, Quang Ninh welcomed a total of more than 18.2 million tourist arrivals, including 7.8 million foreign visitors, marking an annual average increase of 12.7 percent with a revenue of over 31.18 trillion VND (1.34 billion USD).
This year alone, the province strives to receive about 12.2 million tourist arrivals to earn an estimated 22.8 trillion VND (976.4 million USD).
Over the past two years, the province has focused on developing local transport infrastructure with a number of key projects to better serve visitors, including the Van Don International Airport, the expressway connecting Hanoi, Hai Phong, Ha Long and Van Don, and port terminals from which tourists take tours around its magnificent Ha Long Bay and other popular destinations.
The province has also invested in developing logistic services and improving facilities for local customs and quarantine authorities in an attempt to develop foreign trade in a professional manner and reduce border trade through non-official channels.
Furthermore, it has adopted various incentives to attract big investors like VinGroup, Sun Group, FLC Group, BIM Group and Tuan Chau who have developed a number of high-class resort, shopping and entertainment complexes in Ha Long, Cam Pha, Uong Bi, Van Don, Co To and Mong Cai.
Vietnam’s largest private firm VinGroup has poured money into the Vincom Ha Long – a modern shopping and entertainment centre in Ha Long city on the shore of the World Heritage site Ha Long Bay, the five-star tourism-resort complex of Vinpearl Ha Long Bay Resort and the Vincom Shophouse Complex in Mong Cai.
The Sun Group, another major developer in Vietnam, marked its presence in the city with the Van Don service complex, the beach amusement complex Ha Long Ocean Park, and the beachfront resort complex Sun Premier Village Ha Long Bay.
In particular, the group’s Sun World Ha Long Complex is the biggest tourism property project in Ha Long, with a total investment of 7.794 trillion VND (333.45 million USD).
The FLC group invested 3.4 trillion VND (145.55 million USD) in the FLC Ha Long, a complex of golf course, villas, condo hotels and conference facilities, which spreads over 224 ha of land. It is also carrying out a project building a 50-storey twin-tower complex in the centre of Ha Long city. –VNA
