To develop the "new piece" of Ninh Binh tourism

If Ninh Binh was previously famous for its heritage, ecological and spiritual tourism products, now, sea tourism is like a new "piece", positioned as a strategic advantage in the journey of building a comprehensive tourism brand of this land.

Sea tourism - a new "piece" promoting the more comprehensive development of Ninh Binh tourism.

With about 90 km of coastline stretching across many communes, Ninh Binh possesses a continuous coastal strip rich in natural and cultural resources. There are beautiful, pristine beaches such as Hai Thinh, Long Hai, Quat Lam... In addition, there are mangrove ecosystems, tidal zones, and rare flooded forests, which are home to many migratory birds. Xuan Thuy National Park and Kim Son mangrove forest are the "green lungs" and also attractive destinations for nature-loving tourists.

Not only nature, this coastal area also contains a unique cultural-spiritual complex. Ancient churches such as Bui Chu, Kien Lao, Trung Lao or Phat Diem are all unique architectural works, closely associated with the history of Vietnamese Catholicism. Coastal craft villages such as salt making, fishing, and rich seafood cuisine also contribute to creating its own identity.

Tourism expert Associate Professor Dr. Tran Duc Thanh commented: “The unique point of Ninh Binh is the full convergence of mountains and forests to the sea. In particular, sea and coastal tourism not only brings resort value, but also opens up a direction to combine ecology - community - spirituality, creating a difference compared to other localities.”

Despite its many advantages, Ninh Binh's marine tourism is still considered to be underdeveloped. Exploitation activities are fragmented, products lack distinctiveness, and infrastructure is not uniform, especially in coastal communes. Environmental sanitation, exploitation skills, tourism promotion, linkage activities, and the development of integrated products are still weak and lacking.

Mr. Pham Van Thanh, representative of Long Viet Travel Company Limited, shared: With more than 15 years of experience in guiding tourists, including Ninh Binh, I have found that sea tourism in Ninh Binh has many advantages such as pristine beaches, fresh seafood, and low costs. However, there is still a lack of high-quality coastal hotels and additional services for entertainment and relaxation, so many groups still have to return to the city center to rest. That makes it difficult for sea tours to develop strongly."

Sharing the same opinion, Ms. Nguyen Thi Xuan, Director of Kim Nguu Hotel, Hai Thinh Commune, said: “In the summer, there are quite a lot of visitors to Thinh Long beach, but due to the lack of consistent services, visitors usually only stay one night and then leave. If there are more products such as salt-making experience tourism, fishing or high-class eco-resorts, visitors will definitely stay longer.

In addition, Ms. Xuan also expressed concern that since 2019, many coastal areas here have been eroded, the water has become turbid, leading to a decrease in the number of visitors. Local people expect that the project to consolidate, complete and handle landslides in Con Tron and Hai Thinh sea dykes will be quickly completed, bringing a new look to the locality as well as promoting tourism development.

Tourists enjoy swimming at Thinh Long beach.

According to the Ninh Binh Tourism Development Project to 2030, with a vision to 2045, the important role of marine tourism has been clearly identified. In particular, marine tourism is prioritized to become one of the six key product groups. The province will focus on developing clusters of resort, ecological, community, and marine spiritual products; forming a coastal tourism route connecting Hai Tien Thinh Long Kim Son Giao Thuy Xuan Thuy - Con Noi; associated with mainland heritages such as Trang An, Tam Chuc, Tran Temple, Phat Diem.

By 2030, Ninh Binh tourism strives to welcome 30-35 million visitors per year, including 3.5-4 million international visitors; total revenue reaches 30,000 billion VND; sea tourism alone strives to form at least 5 typical regional products, attracting over 20% of the total number of visitors in the province.

It can be said that with the advantages of nature, culture and strategic location, sea tourism is the “new door” for Ninh Binh to realize the above goals and at the same time affirm the position of this land on the national and international tourism map. The problem is how to truly awaken that potential and transform it into development power.

According to Mr. Bui Van Manh, Director of the Department of Tourism, in order to better exploit the potential of marine tourism, in the coming time, the industry will focus on four key tasks and solutions. In particular, speeding up the progress of planning coastal tourism zones; planning tidal and mangrove ecological spaces; prioritizing investment in coastal roads, tourist wharves, rest stops, green accommodation infrastructure and environmental sanitation infrastructure in coastal communes.

Regarding products and services, the industry will focus on building marine tourism products, pilgrimage tourism to ancient coastal churches, tourism to experience salt and fishery craft villages, coastal community resorts; encourage the development of homestay, farmstay, and glamping models in Thinh Long, Hai Thinh, and Kim Son.

At the same time, communication and branding work is also focused on to build a separate brand for Ninh Binh sea tourism, with a unique slogan, connecting domestic and international media; promoting the organization of cultural and tourism events in coastal areas such as fishermen festivals, sea food festivals, and boat racing competitions.

At the same time, it is necessary to improve the quality of human resources and organize tourism skills training for people in coastal communes; build awareness of protecting the marine environment, civilized tourism behavior; develop a team of tour guides and community tourism volunteers right in the locality.

In the overall picture, marine tourism is the missing "piece" for Ninh Binh to become a national comprehensive tourism center. With a new look after the merger, along with the determination of the government, the participation of the community and businesses, the marine potential can be fully exploited better, bringing local tourism to increasingly comprehensive and sustainable development.

Article and photos: Minh Hai

Source: https://baoninhbinh.org.vn/de-manh-ghep-moi-cua-du-lich-ninh-binh-phat-trien-642194.htm