Trang An scenic complex is quantified at a value of 213 billion USD.

Quantifying the value of Trang An is extremely important in the current global context and makes valuable contributions to orienting sustainable development and enhancing the socio-economic impacts of world heritage sites.

Quantifying heritage value

The International Workshop “Quantifying the Value of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex and Developing the Brand of World Heritage Destination” took place on March 5 and 6, 2025, organized by Ninh Binh Department of Tourism in coordination with UNESCO Office in Hanoi, School of Interdisciplinary Sciences and Arts (VNU Hanoi) and Xuan Truong Construction Enterprise.

Attending the workshop were comrade Doan Minh Huan, member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Ninh Binh Provincial Party Committee; Pham Quang Ngoc, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, along with provincial leaders and former provincial leaders; Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Ha, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Communist Magazine; Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Van Hieu, Principal of the School of Interdisciplinary Sciences and Arts, Vietnam National University, Hanoi; Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Van Kim, Vice Chairman of the National Cultural Heritage Council, member of the World Heritage Committee; Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Hong Thuc, School of Interdisciplinary Sciences and Arts, Head of the Project on Economic Value Evaluation of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex.

Also attending were Director of Xuan Truong Construction Enterprise Nguyen Van Truong; experts, scientists; UNESCO Office in Hanoi; international organizations; leaders of some relevant departments, branches, sectors and localities of the province and representatives of tourism businesses.

International Workshop “Quantifying the value of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex and Developing the brand of World Heritage destinations”.

The Project on Economic Value Assessment of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex is chaired by Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Hong Thuc, School of Interdisciplinary Sciences and Arts. The Project on Economic Value Assessment of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex (Trang An WHS) is a groundbreaking research project, aiming to determine the brand value through the economic contributions of this important heritage, furthermore, integrating aspects of historical, cultural, natural values ​​and traditional settlements into the overall heritage value, on that basis, making recommendations for sustainable development policies.

The School of Interdisciplinary Sciences and Arts (VNU-SIS) of Vietnam National University, Hanoi, in collaboration with the Santagata Foundation for Cultural Economics (Italy) and the Leibniz Institute for Urban Ecology and Regional Development (Germany), has chosen and applied a holistic approach and appropriate evaluation methods for Trang An WHS. The project not only assesses both the direct and indirect economic benefits that the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex World Heritage Site brings, but also considers factors that negatively impact the socio-economic life of local residents.

Many valuable and dedicated opinions

Speaking at the workshop, Party Central Committee member and Ninh Binh Provincial Party Secretary Doan Minh Huan shared about the "Millennium Heritage Urban" model, aiming to protect natural values, while addressing challenges in urban development, climate change and the environment. He also emphasized the importance of building a cultural urban model, where people live in harmony with heritage and protect and promote heritage values. Ninh Binh province is aiming to develop a green economy, exploiting heritage resources to create creative industries, such as heritage parks, amusement parks, film studio parks, and sports industries.

Party Central Committee member, Ninh Binh Provincial Party Secretary Doan Minh Huan speaks at the workshop

In his opening speech, Mr. Jonathan Baker, Chief Representative of UNESCO in Vietnam, expressed his pleasure to join Vietnamese and international experts, scientists, and managers in the dialogue on “Quantifying the value of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex and Developing the brand of World Heritage destinations” to redefine the way to perceive, measure, and exploit the economic potential of world heritage sites.

“Since launching the Trang An Economic Valuation Project in October 2024, we have made significant progress in translating this vision into action. This study examines the economic contributions of Trang An across four key dimensions, providing a better understanding of the role of the property in supporting local livelihoods, sustainable land use and long-term economic resilience. These findings are not only theoretical, but also positively shape policies and strategies that will not only influence the future of Trang An but also contribute to the global discussion on integrating heritage conservation with sustainable development,” said Jonathan Baker.

Mr. Jonathan Baker, UNESCO Representative in Vietnam, delivered the opening speech at the Workshop.

“We are not here to reaffirm what we already know; we are here to reshape the future. The way forward for Trang An, as for all heritage sites that are finding the delicate balance between conservation and development, depends on sustained research, inclusive policy innovation and the shared commitment of all those working towards the future of the heritage,” emphasized the UNESCO Representative in Vietnam.

Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Pham Quang Ngoc, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee acknowledged and highly appreciated the cooperation of leading interdisciplinary expert groups in the country and prestigious international organizations that have implemented this important project according to international standards. The international workshop "Quantifying the value of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex and Developing the brand of World Heritage destinations" aims to continue to more fully identify the historical, cultural, economic and brand values ​​of Trang An heritage, thereby proposing solutions to preserve and promote effectively, contributing to the development of sustainable heritage tourism, affirming the position of Trang An Heritage, of Hoa Lu-Ninh Binh in the system of world heritage cities. Ninh Binh is also one of the pioneering provinces in realizing the heritage economy. Implementing the dissemination of the mixed world heritage brand of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex.

Mr. Pham Quang Ngoc, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee delivered a welcome speech at the Workshop.

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee emphasized the distinct potentials and outstanding advantages in terms of nature, history, culture and geography that have been preserved, protected and passed down through generations by the people of Hoa Lu to crystallize into a World Cultural and Natural Heritage Trang An with outstanding global values, recognized by UNESCO in June 2014. Over the past decade, with the drastic, determined, responsible participation and methodical, creative, appropriate and effective approach of the government, along with the consensus and active participation of the people and business community of Ninh Binh, Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex has been assessed by UNESCO as one of the most typical exemplary models in the world in the successful combination of economic development and sustainable tourism.

In particular, the formation of Hoa Lu city on the basis of merging Ninh Binh city and Hoa Lu district - where Trang An heritage plays the role of the heart of the millennium heritage city has clearly demonstrated the inevitable trend, which is to connect inter-provincial, inter-regional, and even inter-national heritage tourism, in order to create unique values ​​and brands of heritage. Trang An today has been creating new values.

Therefore, the Project “Evaluation of the economic value of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex” was carried out to understand the characteristics and overall value of the Millennium Heritage Ecosystem of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex. The results of the Project were published internationally in terms of science, creating a basis for UNESCO to connect with prestigious international organizations, and jointly announce the overall value of the heritage according to international standards and practices.

$213 billion and ten core value groups

After two days of active work with 3 sessions and 17 in-depth presentations, the Workshop was a great success with some outstanding results.

The method for assessing the total economic value of the heritage (TEV) of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex World Heritage Site with an estimated total value of 213 billion USD, including ten core value groups, was approved.

These are: 1. Entertainment value; 2. Karst system value; 3. Biodiversity value; 4. Archaeological value; 5. Trang An special-use forest value; 6. Cultural value of communal houses, temples, pagodas; 7. Cultural value of festivals; 8. Cultural value of folk performing arts; 9. Residential land value with strong impact from heritage in the core heritage area. In addition, the project also calculates and considers the assessment of land value due to the impact from heritage in the buffer zone, estimated at about 20 billion USD.

Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex - World Cultural and Natural Heritage, where unique natural and cultural values ​​converge on a global scale

Impact of heritage on tourism economy and cultural industry: The assessment results confirm that heritage tourism is an important economic driver, contributing significantly to job creation, business revenue and the development of handicrafts, services, agricultural production and cultural industries. In particular, the affirmation of the Model of 'Heritage leading economic development' is consistent with the characteristics of Trang An WHS.

Impact on settlement and sustainable local livelihoods: The presence of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (with a scale of more than 70% of the area of ​​Hoa Lu City) confirms the great impact of this heritage on the value of the settlement heritage and agricultural land. This value has been assessed and recommendations for future urban development policies in the core and buffer zones of the heritage.

Heritage economic development scenario: The study also provides policy recommendations based on the enormous potential of heritage, as a foundation for sustainable economic growth, balancing conservation and development of tourism and cultural industries, while ensuring long-term benefits and equitable enjoyment of heritage for local communities.

Signing and approving the Joint Communique on the Project to Evaluate the Economic Value of Trang An World Heritage Site

This result is associated with the policy recommendation for heritage conservation as a foundation for developing Hoa Lu Millennium Heritage City according to the characteristics of the Millennium Heritage City and the Creative City of the province and the region, especially as a national and international tourism center. From these results, the following models are recommended for application in Ninh Binh: 1. Development space of Hoa Lu Millennium Cultural Landscape Heritage City; 2. Heritage model leading cultural industry in future economic development; 3. Sustainable indigenous heritage tourism model; 4. Model of residential land and agricultural and forestry land in symbiosis with livelihoods and conservation of traditional settlement heritage; 5. Model of conservation of World Heritages with Asian characteristics, in the context of sustainable urbanization.

The workshop concluded with the signing of the Joint Communiqué on the Project for the Evaluation of the Economic Value of Trang An World Heritage. This is not only a synthesis of research results, practical experience and policy recommendations but also a common commitment to the conservation and promotion of the value of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex in a sustainable manner; it is a foundation for stakeholders to continue to cooperate, promote practical policies, and turn research into action.

"World heritage sites, famous works, famous tourist attractions in the world have been valued: Eiffel Tower (France) 545 billion USD; Roman Colosseum (Italy) 114 billion USD; Tower of London (UK) 89 billion USD; Stonehenge ancient stone site 13 billion USD; Duomo Cathedral (Milan, Italy) estimated at 103 billion USD... The fact that the World Cultural and Natural Heritage Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex is valued at a total economic value of 213 billion USD is also a figure that speaks to the global value of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex in Vietnam as UNESCO General Director Audrey Azoulay affirmed that Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex is one of the most typical exemplary models in the world of the successful combination of economic development and sustainable tourism".

Source: https://baodautu.vn/quan-the-danh-thang-trang-an-duoc-luong-hoa-voi-gia-tri-213-ty-usd-d251359.html