Removing difficulties for new tourism products in Ha Long Bay

This year, units and businesses plan to develop 10 new tourism products in Ha Long Bay. Among them, there are products connecting Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay for the first time, there are products that used to exist and are now proposed to reopen to serve tourists' needs, and there are also products specific to island areas such as Ha Long. However, to realize them requires removing many obstacles...

Focus on exploiting products in offshore areas According to Plan No. 39/KH-UBND dated February 7, 2024 of the Provincial People's Committee, among the 10 tourism products oriented to be put into operation and serve visitors on Ha Long Bay this year, there are 2 products proposed by the Ha Long Bay Management Board and currently being implemented. These are organizing water entertainment services in 4 areas of Ba Hang, Tung Sau, Vong Vieng, Hang Co on Ha Long Bay; cultural tourism products to research, visit archaeological sites, and experience the unique culture of the fishing community on Ha Long Bay.

Tourists experience rowing service in Ba Hang area on Ha Long Bay.

The remaining 8 tourism products and services were proposed by enterprises for development. Of which, Viet Thuan Transport Company Limited proposed for the first time a sightseeing and tourist accommodation service through Ha Long - Bai Tu Long Bay. This product has been realized by the unit with the launch of the Grand Pioneers 2 cruise ship, expected to launch the first "Heritage Journey" this July with destinations such as: Hon Trong Mai, Hon Binh Huong, Stone Stacking Park, Bai Tu Long National Park, Ban Sen, Quan Lan, Minh Chau islands of Van Don district... Dong Duong Cruise Joint Stock Company proposed 2 products and services: Visiting route 4 on Ha Long Bay by speedboat and experiencing the cultivation, exploitation and processing of Ha Long pearls at Tung Sau and Vong Vieng lagoons. Van Chai Ha Long Service Cooperative proposed 4 products: Experience fishing, fishing with fishermen in Vung Ha, Ba Cat, Phoi Luoi Temple, Hang Thay, Cong Do, Cap La (5 locations); traditional dragon boat racing in Cua Van area; one-day product in Vong Vieng fishing village and relaxing in the sea, organizing services on natural sandbanks in Hon Bo Hung sandbank and Thien Canh Son sandbank (Co cave). The remaining products, restaurant cruise combined with wedding on Ha Long Bay were proposed by yacht businesses.

The “Heritage Journey” on the Grand Pioneers 2 cruise ship will extend through Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay. Photo of Chuong Nep beach on Minh Chau island commune (Van Don district) is included in this cruise.

Many of these products were previously invented by businesses and put into trial exploitation, such as the product A day as a fisherman or organizing services on the beach... Up to now, re-exploitation requires following a new process. What is more noteworthy is that most of these products are exploited in an area relatively far from the shore of Ha Long Bay, belonging to the current tour route No. 4. This tour route has previously mainly attracted foreign tourists and high-end overnight guests. The new products also strongly target this group of guests, who have high spending power and are willing to spend a long time experiencing with the tendency to freely explore new sights and less crowded areas of Ha Long Bay. Explaining this in part as well as expressing the desire of businesses to develop more experiential products here, Mr. Doan Van Dung, Permanent Vice President of Quang Ninh Tourism Association, analyzed: One of the things we are limited by is that in the core area of Ha Long Bay heritage, we are only exploiting 1/3 of the space, specifically mainly relying on routes 1 and 2 with main attractions such as Sung Sot Cave, Thien Cung - Dau Go ... leading to the feeling that the heritage is being overloaded. But from routes 3 and 4, which occupy 2/3 of the space of Ha Long Bay, the number of ships bringing visitors is very small. One of the reasons is that businesses have not developed many experiential products in this area, visitors do not know what to do, so currently there are only a few overnight ships running on that route. So if we develop more experiential products, based on resources such as beaches, caves, fishing villages, we will have a lot of room to bring guests there.

Thien Cung - Dau Go Cave is one of the places that attracts a lot of tourists every year.

How to overcome difficulties and obstacles? Thus, the needs and desires of tourism businesses in exploiting new tourism products and services come from the reality of tourism exploitation in Ha Long Bay. If these products are completed and qualified to serve tourists, it will also promise to increase the attractiveness of Ha Long Bay, especially for foreign visitors with high spending power. At the same time, it will help to spread the number of visitors to more remote areas of the heritage, which are also areas that have not been pressured by the peak tourist season capacity in Ha Long Bay. However, current regulations still have many problems. According to the assessment of the Ha Long Bay Management Board, the implementation of 8 tourism products and services proposed by businesses to be put into operation in 2024 will encounter procedural difficulties. This is because most of the areas planned to deploy the above tourism services have not been assigned sea areas. Speedboat and restaurant cruise services have not been mentioned in the detailed plan for preserving and promoting the heritage value of Ha Long Bay until 2020 (referred to as Plan 1139) and the provincial People's Committee has not announced the traffic routes and tourist routes. The remaining 6 services are all included in Plan 1139 but have expired. According to the plan of the Ha Long Bay Management Board, the completion and implementation of the Plan for preserving, restoring and renovating Ha Long Bay landscapes in the period of 2025-2035, with a vision to 2050, is identified by the unit as one of the key tasks and solutions that need to be focused on, contributing to ensuring the requirements for preserving and developing the heritage sustainably. Having a Plan also means removing some of the above-mentioned obstacles, however, the roadmap for implementing the Plan is still prolonged, affecting the progress of implementing the above-mentioned products.

Tra San - Cong Do area has beautiful landscape, many small sandy beaches at the foot of rocky mountains, which is potential for exploiting beach bathing services, light parties...

In order to have a basis for implementing the above points and services to come into operation soon, the Ha Long Bay Management Board has issued a document proposing and recommending to the Provincial People's Committee specific contents, such as: Assigning the Department of Transport to urgently advise on announcing new traffic routes on Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay for high-speed boats, accommodation boats, and restaurant cruises. The Department of Tourism advises the Provincial People's Committee to announce the tourist routes on Ha Long Bay, Bai Tu Long, including the Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba archipelago tourist route to serve as a basis for proposing to collect fees for new routes on Ha Long Bay... Regarding difficulties and problems related to planning, especially for services such as swimming, light parties on the sand, relaxing fishing, exploring the pine-agar ecosystem, caves in some areas already included in Planning 1139, such as Ti Top Island, Lom Bo Island, Trinh Nu Cave, Tra Gioi Islet, Luoi Liem Islet, Tra San Islet, Cong Do Island, Ho Dong Tien Cave, Cong Dam Cave, the unit requests the Provincial People's Committee to direct the province's specialized agencies based on current legal regulations and approved plans, advise the Provincial People's Committee to report to relevant competent authorities for written comments before considering approving the policy of developing these services. At the meeting of the Provincial People's Committee in early June, the provincial leaders gave instructions on the proposals and recommendations of the units, and assigned departments, branches and units to coordinate in implementing related tasks. In particular, assigned departments and units to coordinate in early announcing the tour and tourism itinerary of Ha Long Bay, Bai Tu Long and the itinerary connecting the two bays, ensuring sufficient operating conditions to develop products, expand tourism space, and attract investment. Approved the announcement of overnight accommodation points, anchorage areas, and water recreation areas as a basis for organizing tourism and service activities. Reviewed and completed the conditions for implementing fishing and squid fishing services in suitable areas, to be implemented early this summer. Reviewed and advised the province on the assignment of Ha Long Bay sea area to carry out management work conveniently and effectively...