Removing difficulties for products and services in Ha Long Bay

Possessing outstanding beauty along with the mission of a world natural heritage, the development of tourism products and services in Ha Long Bay requires ensuring good principles in protecting and preserving heritage values along with attractiveness, meeting the diverse needs of tourists. Because of such difficulty, this story always receives the attention of authorities, businesses and tourists.

Diversified products and services

Cave tours are one of the traditional tourist services in Ha Long Bay. Photo taken at Thien Cung Cave.

According to statistics from the Ha Long Bay Management Board, there are currently 12 tourism products and services in Ha Long Bay, including 4 tourism products and services exploited by organizations, and 8 tourism products and services exploited by businesses to serve visitors.

In fact, in recent years, in addition to traditional tourism services such as cave tours, mountain climbing, swimming, kayaking, rowing boats, speedboats, overnight stays... Ha Long Bay has developed a number of new tourism products to meet the market segment of tourists with high spending ability such as discovery cruise products; experiencing Ha Long Bay from above with seaplanes and helicopters; restaurant cruise products with Ha Long culinary experiences combined with enjoying music and visiting the beauty of Ha Long City at night...

At the same time, to sustainably promote the tourism resources of the heritage, the heritage management agency, the Ha Long Bay Management Board, also focuses on coordinating in developing cultural, ecological and community tourism products, such as: Visiting and experiencing the unique cultural values of the fishing community in Ha Long Bay in the Cua Van and Vung Vieng areas (listening to love songs, experiencing the making of traditional fishing tools, visiting floating houses, etc.); visiting and experiencing the pearl farming and making area in Tung Sau lagoon; researching and exploring archaeological sites in Me Cung Cave; visiting the exhibition area of heritage values in Dau Go Cave; experiencing the archaeological exhibition area in Tien Ong Cave; enjoying Ha Long cuisine and the province's OCOP products at the Cap Tao tourist site, etc.

Ti Top beach attracts a large number of beachgoers when coming to Ha Long Bay in the summer.

The development of tourism products and services in Ha Long Bay has contributed to creating jobs for thousands of workers, increasing the province's budget revenue, and many unique tourism products have gradually been formed.

However, according to the assessment of many experts, units and businesses, tourism products in Ha Long Bay have long been mainly developed based on exploiting natural values, not effectively exploiting cultural values, lacking ecological and cultural tourism products; mainly mass products, not many different and unique products to segment the tourist market, especially the high-end market...

There are still many problems to be solved.

In recent years, a number of businesses and units have proposed developing many new tourism products and services in Ha Long Bay. Many of these products promise great appeal to tourists, especially those with high spending power, such as exploiting caves and pristine sandbanks at the foot of rocky islands in offshore areas to develop beach tourism products, organizing light parties on the sand, performing arts in caves, etc.

However, most of the products have not been realized due to many unresolved problems related to procedures for land allocation, forest allocation, sea area allocation; Ha Long Bay planning; use of public assets at heritage sites, special national monuments, etc.

Experience kayaking in Luon Cave area on Ha Long Bay.

Currently, according to the report of the Ha Long Bay Management Board , the planning for the preservation, restoration and rehabilitation of Ha Long Bay's scenic spots for the period up to 2035, with a vision to 2050, has not been completed and is expected to be approved by the Prime Minister by 2027. Therefore, there is no basis for investment and implementation of projects to develop tourism products in Ha Long Bay.

In addition, many infrastructure problems in the tours on Ha Long Bay also need to be resolved soon. For example, the water area in front of the wharf in the Thien Cung - Dau Go cave area has not been dredged or maintained since 2018 and has been silted up. When the tide is low, the water level does not ensure the depth for tourist boats to carry visitors and stay, causing congestion when the boats come in and out to pick up and drop off passengers, posing a potential risk to traffic safety.

The wharf at the two tourist attractions of Tien Ong Cave and Me Cung Cave on the VHL2 itinerary was completed and put into use in June 2020, but has not yet been announced by the competent authority as a port. The wharf at Hang Co on the VHL4 itinerary has also not been announced as an inland waterway wharf according to regulations to ensure sufficient conditions for vehicles to dock to pick up and drop off tourists... Facilities in the cave such as the lighting system and walkways need to be renovated and upgraded...

Soi Sim beach is expected to reopen to serve tourists from May 1.

Another drawback is that many destinations, although included in the entrance ticket structure, have not yet received investment in infrastructure and cannot welcome visitors, affecting the interests of tourists, such as: Bo Nau Cave, Ba Ham Lake, Ba Men Temple, Du Cave, Truc Forest, Thay Cave, Cap La Cave, Cong Do Pine Area, etc. It is known that to relieve the thirst for beaches in the bay when the summer tourist season is coming, the Ha Long Bay Management Board is proposing to put Soi Sim beach back into operation to serve tourists from May 1.

In recent times, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, tourism itineraries in Ha Long Bay have developed unevenly. Specifically, the number of tourists is concentrated in the VHL1 and VHL2 itineraries, which are close to the mainland and mainly exploit traditional tourism products (visiting caves, swimming in the sea), leading to local overload at some locations such as: Thien Cung Cave, Sung Sot Cave, Luon Cave, Ti Top Beach, etc.

Meanwhile, the tour of VHL3 and VHL4 on Ha Long Bay focuses on many tourist attractions/wild landscape areas , many beautiful sand beaches, pine forests... with potential to develop high-end tourism products but has not attracted many tourists due to its location far from shore, and travel time is long.

The water area in front of the wharf in Thien Cung - Dau Go cave area has not been dredged since 2018.

Through research, it is shown that this area is adjacent to Bai Tu Long Bay , Lan Ha Bay (Cat Ba, Hai Phong), with many scenic spots located in the 3 routes connecting Ha Long Bay - Bai Tu Long Bay . Meanwhile, tourist boats in Lan Ha Bay (Hai Phong) only exploit a single route from Gia Luan port running along the national route through Tra Bau area, Cua Van area to Ba Trai Dao area then return to the overnight anchorage point in Tra Bau without any stops or sightseeing for tourists.

Based on this reality, the Ha Long Bay Management Board is proposing to the province a policy of connecting Lan Ha Bay with the VHL3 and VHL4 tours on Ha Long Bay. This is to increase the connection between the two bays, promote development opportunities and attract tourists to the VHL3 and VHL4 tours on Ha Long Bay, extend the length of stay of tourists, and also reduce the number of visitors on the VHL1 and VHL2 tours on Ha Long Bay.

Ngoc Mai

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