As the international peak season approaches, the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh is anticipating an uptick in foreign arrivals.
During January – September, the locality hosted 13 million visitors, up more than 40% year-on-year. Although the number of foreign travelers rose eight folds to 1 million, more efforts should be put in place to realise the set target of welcoming 2 million for the whole year.
Besides capitalising on Ha Long Bay – a UNESCO world heritage site, the provincial tourism sector and travel firms should pay more attention to popularisation and promotion works to lure more visitors to local cultural, spiritual and historical destinations, according to experts.
They suggested the province develop diverse high-quality and unique tourism offerings, making it become more attractive to foreign travelers.
Furthermore, the province should enhance tourism management to ensure a safe and hospitable environment for tourists.
Most recently, Ha Long Bay has been listed among the 24 travel destinations in the world in 2024 by expert advisors of OviationNetwork, the world’s leading network of agencies specialising in luxury and experience tourism.
Ha Long Bay is the only representative of Vietnam in this list, which was shared with US-based Forbes magazine, in addition to others in global tourism such as Sardinia (Italy), Urla (Turkey), Niseko (Japan), Jeju (the Republic of Korea), Nile River (Egypt), Marrakesh (Morocco), and Milos (Greece).
It is one of the destinations described by the author of the article as a wonderful place that can meet most of the needs of tourists, from exploring nature, learning about history and experiencing cuisine to adventurous exploration. The world heritage was also praised for possessing exceptional global value in terms of ecosystems as well as geological and geomorphological values, as very few other places in the world offer the perfect combination of natural beauty, outdoor activities, fresh food, tranquility, and such easy access.
One of the most recommended experiences when visiting Ha Long Bay, according to the author, is to take a boat tour, gently swaying on the water surface to admire the breath-taking natural scenery.
This is not the first time Ha Long Bay has been proposed as an attractive destination in the world. In April 2023, CNN's travel website evaluated Ha Long Bay as one of the 25 most beautiful destinations in the world. Prior to that, also in 2023, the famous travel magazine Travel+Leisure (Asian edition) voted Ha Long Bay one of the top destinations to watch the most beautiful sunrise and sunset in Asia.
