How to get to a “four-season destination”?

Winter-summer paradox

The highlight of Cat Ba tourism in the first 6 months of the year is that the number of international visitors to the island reached over 572,000 (2.5 times higher than the same period in 2023). Total revenue from accommodation and catering services reached nearly 1,500 billion VND (1.5 times higher than the same period). This shows that Cat Ba tourism is gradually changing both quality and quantity, attracting high-end and foreign visitors with higher spending.

However, in reality, the balance of Cat Ba tourism is leaning too much towards the summer. According to statistics, in June 2024, Cat Ba welcomed more than 600,000 visitors. The number of visitors is forecast to continue to increase in the remaining 2 summer months (July - August) thanks to the effect of the title of World Natural Heritage Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago as well as the traffic congestion to the island being resolved, cable car fares reduced by 50% and new ferries put into operation and exploitation... Compared to the target of welcoming 3.6 million visitors for the whole year, it can be seen that the number of visitors to Cat Ba is still mainly concentrated in the summer.

Cat Ba Archipelago, together with Ha Long Bay, was recognized as the first inter-provincial World Natural Heritage in Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Cat Ba has many favorable natural conditions to become a 4-season destination with diverse experiences for tourists. Visitors to Cat Ba can not only swim in the summer but also experience trekking in the national park, sightseeing on the winding coastal road, enjoying fresh seafood, visiting caves, large and small islands and relaxing at any time of the year.

With the strength of owning a national park, a World Biosphere Reserve and the Top most beautiful bays in the world voted by the World's Most Beautiful Bays Club Association, Cat Ba can completely become an international ecological destination, through research and development of a green, emission-free, environmentally friendly tourism model, combining exploitation with conservation to target high-income luxury customers.

Currently, compared to domestic "tough competitors" such as "neighbors" Ha Long or further away Phu Quoc, Nha Trang ..., Cat Ba still has a large gap in terms of accommodation facilities and service quality, especially 5-star resorts or high-class entertainment complexes that meet the needs of tourists at all times of the year. To do this, Cat Ba needs a systematic approach, attracting businesses with sustainable development thinking to both solve the problem of lack of high-quality accommodation facilities, develop the island's typical tourism products, and preserve the natural landscape and conserve the ecosystem of Cat Ba National Park.

Filling the tourism product gap

According to the Hai Phong City planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, Cat Ba is oriented to develop into a classy "green" tourist destination, worthy of the potential bestowed by nature. In which, the goal is to build and develop the Cat Ba - Do Son tourist complex in combination with Ha Long Bay to become an international-class sea tourism center.

With many years of experience bringing international tourists to Cat Ba, Ms. Nguyen Lan, Head of Sales of a travel company in Hai Phong, said that in order to turn Cat Ba into an international tourism center, the urgent task is to "clear" the way for tourists. Next, there must be many breakthrough tourism products with quality, distinction, and high added value with types such as: Sea and island resort tourism, sports tourism, community eco-tourism, commercial tourism combined with promoting local products...

Cat Ba develops environmentally friendly transport system

Nowadays, the travel of tourists from the mainland to the island has become much more convenient since the Cat Hai - Phu Long cable car line came into operation. Tourists no longer have to wait for the ferry for hours, instead they can watch the bay from the cable car cabin, which is extremely convenient and fast. In the future, Hai Phong City has oriented to stop operating and replace means of transport using gasoline and diesel with means using clean, environmentally friendly fuel, gradually turning Cat Ba into a clean and friendly island for tourists.

Most recently, giving opinions on the construction of a master plan for Hai Phong tourism development to 2025, with a vision to 2030, the city directed to focus on the task: "Building specific solutions to link green tourism with environmental protection. Proposing mechanisms to encourage, motivate, and promote models, practices, and actions for the environment; limiting emissions; building a roadmap to limit gasoline vehicles and prioritize electric vehicles"...

To do this, Hai Phong needs to create a mechanism to attract reputable and worthy investors, upgrade infrastructure, add experiences, especially unique eco-tourism products, associated with nature conservation. These will be the "trump cards" to attract tourists because only in Cat Ba can tourists experience. Looking at the world, Japan and China are very successful countries in preserving and promoting tangible and intangible cultural values ​​in ecological areas such as in Tokyo, the ancient capital of Kyoto or the cities of Kobe, Fukushima... the ecological city of Tianjin or the "Lac Man Dia" ecological area in Guilin...

In Europe, the model of peaceful island retreats - where both tourists and residents must travel by sustainable means such as bicycles, electric cars or on foot - is increasingly popular, attracting tourists because it offers both convenient infrastructure and fresh air.

Cat Ba aims to upgrade infrastructure and limit emissions

With its existing potential, Cat Ba can completely become the first ideal and systematic eco-tourism model in Vietnam. This will be a new experience for global tourists who want to connect with nature and explore indigenous culture.

The recognition of Cat Ba Archipelago, along with Ha Long Bay, as the first inter-provincial World Natural Heritage Site in Vietnam, is considered a huge "boost" for the local tourism industry. According to experts, Cat Ba must seize the opportunity immediately if it wants to bring tourism to international standards, aiming to welcome 10.4 million visitors, including about 4.4 million international visitors by 2050. Otherwise, the world heritage will just be a name.

Source: https://toquoc.vn/cat-ba-cach-nao-huong-toi-diem-den-4-mua-20240715114455459.htm