Building a tourist center connecting regional and international

Strive to reach high goals

Diversify tourism products and services to increase the attractiveness of Ha Long Bay. Photo: Do ​​Phuong

In 2025, Quang Ninh province is determined to attract 20 million visitors, of which 4.5 million are international visitors, with tourism revenue reaching 55,000 billion VND. The Resolution of the Provincial Party Committee on directions and tasks for 2025 has specific orientations for developing tourism into a spearhead economic sector associated with sustainable marine economic development. In particular, the province focuses on attracting investment in high-quality tourism and service projects, developing golf courses according to planning; building key tourism centers in the localities: Ha Long, Cam Pha, Mong Cai, Uong Bi, Van Don, Co To. In particular, innovating, improving the quality and competitiveness of existing tourism products and services to increase spending, revenue and tourism economic efficiency. At the same time, connecting and developing flights through Van Don International Airport, tourism routes by sea; Developing a smart tourism ecosystem associated with heritage economic development, elevating Quang Ninh tourism to become an attractive and complete destination all year round...

In 2025, in addition to traditional tourism products, Quang Ninh tourism will focus on innovating tourism products towards high quality, competitiveness, promoting the advantages of Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, strongly exploiting the luxury customer segment with high spending to increase tourism revenue...

In particular, with the vibrant return of international visitors, cruise tourism to Quang Ninh has increased sharply again. This is a good sign for the extension and promotion of development prospects for sea tourism routes. Recently, on March 12, the leaders of Quang Ninh province worked with representatives of the organization managing and operating the Peace Boat cruise ship (Japan) and a number of travel agencies and shipping agents in Vietnam during a survey trip to prepare conditions to welcome the first Japanese cruise ship bringing about 1,700 international tourists, of which 85% are Japanese tourists to Quang Ninh on April 30. This is also the first time Quang Ninh province has welcomed a cruise ship in the form of a charter (chartering the entire trip) bringing Japanese tourists to Ha Long, opening up opportunities to promote cruise routes connecting Japan with Quang Ninh, concretizing the province's policy of attracting high-end tourists...

With clear directions and specific actions, the tourism sector and units and localities in the province have exploited potential, promoted tourism development, and generated high tourism revenue since the beginning of this year. In particular, at the beginning of the year, when many festivals and spiritual cultural events took place, Quang Ninh attracted many tourists from all over the country to visit and worship, notably at the following locations: Yen Tu scenic relic site (Uong Bi city), Cua Ong temple (Cam Pha city), Cai Bau pagoda (Van Don district), Duc Ong Tran Quoc Nghien temple (Ha Long city) and historical and cultural relics of Bai Tho mountain, Bach Dang historical relic, Quang Ninh Museum, etc.

People shop at the OCOP Spring Fair 2025.

With the focus on investment in tourism, Quang Ninh recorded positive results in the first months of the year when it welcomed over 3.7 million visitors, an increase of 27% over the same period in 2024, of which international visitors reached 740,000; revenue of over VND 8,300 billion, an increase of 8% over the same period in 2024. In particular, Quang Ninh has positive signs when attracting super-luxury guests with high spending ability. In February 2025, two American millionaires in the financial sector, Jeff Grinspoon and John Thomas Foley, during a trip to Vietnam to seek investment opportunities, visited and explored Bai Tu Long Bay and Ha Long Bay. It is expected that there will be 4 more groups of world billionaires coming to Quang Ninh in 2025, of which the largest group will have over 100 guests... This is a positive signal, affirming that Quang Ninh is an ideal destination for domestic and foreign tourists.

Welcome to exciting events

To achieve the goal of attracting over 20 million tourists by 2025, building Quang Ninh into an attractive tourist destination all year round, high-class tourism. In 2025, the province plans to organize 24 international, national, provincial-level programs and events and nearly 150 local-level programs and events to attract tourists. Currently, the province and its units and localities are rushing to prepare to be ready to organize a series of attractive events on the occasion of April 30 and May 1. Typically: Ha Long Carnival 2025 with the theme "Connecting Heritage, Pioneering Shining", taking place at Sun Carnival Square. Along with the opening art program, the program is expected to have a Ha Long Carnival ball, DJ performances and high-altitude fireworks display. On the sidelines of the program, there are also activities such as masquerade balls, flashmob performances, booths to experience masquerade, body painting, making personal style masks...

Representatives of Peace Boat (Japan) ship management and operation organization survey at Ha Long International Passenger Port. Photo: Hoang Quynh

For many years, Ha Long Carnival, a cultural tourism brand, has been organized by Quang Ninh province to promote local culture, create unique tourism products during the summer, contribute to effectively implementing the province's tourism stimulus program; at the same time, gradually orienting the construction of Ha Long Carnival into an international festival, attracting a large number of domestic and foreign tourists.

Next are attractive events, such as: Miss Vietnam Sea Global 2025; the art program "Legend of the Heritage Land"... In particular, the program "Art for Climate - Ha Long 2025" organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment in Ha Long City promises dozens of activities in the fields of culture, art, sports, tourism, environment and investment promotion activities. The program will create an experience of art and nature coexisting harmoniously, inspiring solutions for sustainable environmental and climate protection through organizing international exchange forums and community activities. This is also an opportunity for tourists, especially international tourists, to experience the diverse culture of Vietnam in general and Quang Ninh province in particular...

It is expected that at the end of March 2025, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism will chair the organization of the Bai Tu Long Bay Tourism Development Conference in Quang Ninh Province in 2025, including the following activities: Opening of the tourism itinerary on Bai Tu Long Bay and the Bai Tu Long Bay Tourism Development Conference.

Two American millionaires enjoy Vietnamese cuisine at Ao Tien International Port (February 2025). Photo: Hoang Quynh

In addition, the tourism industry continues to organize many cultural, sports and tourism activities and events, such as: Sports sailing festival, hot air balloon festival, kite festival, OCOP fair... Localities in the province also proactively build and organize traditional sports tournaments, such as boat racing, traditional martial arts, chess... or events associated with regional cultural characteristics to create highlights, meeting the diverse needs of different types of visitors.

In Ha Long City, along with major events such as the Ha Long Carnival 2025, to realize the Project "Ha Long - Festival City", on March 22 and 23, the Cherry Blossom Festival - Ky Thuong 2025 will take place in Ky Thuong Commune. Ky Thuong Commune is located in the highest area of ​​the highland communes of Ha Long City, where nearly 100% of the Dao Thanh Phan people live. In addition to its biodiversity value, Ky Thuong is considered a locality with natural tourism resources with many high mountain ranges, a system of rivers, lakes, streams, and vertical waterfalls, interwoven with vast forests, creating a natural landscape of "beautiful mountains and rivers", cool climate all year round, considered a "giant air conditioner" for Ha Long. The Cherry Blossom Festival - Ky Thuong was organized for the first time by the People's Committee of Ha Long City to contribute to maintaining and promoting the good traditional cultural values ​​of the nation, creating unique products to promote, promote and attract tourists to Ha Long City in general and Ky Thuong commune in particular.

The festival has outstanding activities, such as: Cherry blossom tree planting; visiting cherry blossom exhibitions and booths displaying and selling OCOP products, some booths displaying and selling products of typical households and businesses in the city; cultural and sports exchange activities; Kimono (Japan) and ethnic costumes of Ha Long City; bamboo dancing exchange; crossbow shooting, stick pushing, stilt walking performance, traditional costume embroidery, etc.

People participate in the Fishing Festival at Ben Giang Fishing Port (Tan An Ward, Quang Yen Town) on February 3 (January 6).

And Uong Bi City - a locality famous for spiritual tourism and resorts. From the beginning of 2025 to March 11, the city welcomed nearly 1.366 million visitors, an increase of 33% over the same period in 2024, of which Yen Tu and Ba Vang attracted large visitors (Yen Tu welcomed over 438,000 visitors, Ba Vang welcomed over 702,000 visitors); international visitors to Uong Bi reached nearly 19,000 visitors.

With the target of attracting 3.2 million tourists, the city is urgently preparing for attractive events and programs, such as: "Uong Bi - Hello Summer 2025", OCOP Fair associated with trade in 2025; "Uong Bi Golden Autumn 2025" event, "YEN TU HERITAGE 2025" Run... The city plans to build and put into operation a number of new tourism products to enhance the experience for visitors, such as: Khe Song - Thac Bac tourist site; VR3600 virtual reality tour application - Uong Bi Tourism.

Experience Sonasea Van Don sports activities and many new products of Van Don tourism that impressed tourists last year. Photo: Ha Phong

The activities have mobilized the participation and response of local tourism businesses and related units, aiming to improve the quality and diversify products and services, promote the growth of tourists to Uong Bi throughout the four seasons of the year; linking tourism development with the development of trade and services of the city and localities inside and outside the province. From now until the end of 2025, the city will have many events, such as: The death anniversary of the Second Patriarch Phap Loa; Festival of communal houses, temples, and Lac Thanh pagoda; Buddha's birthday week 2025, Buddhist calendar 2569; Vu Lan week; Chrysanthemum festival of Ba Vang pagoda; Medicine Buddha's birthday ceremony; Commemoration ceremony of the 717th anniversary of the day King Tran Nhan Tong entered nirvana...

Mr. Ly Tai Ngan (far right) introduces to tourists the farming tools of the Dao people in Ky Thuong. Photo: Dao Linh

In Van Don island district, we are focusing on developing new tourism products, such as: Experience San Diu Ethnic Culture and Tourism Village (Binh Dan commune); 2-day 3-night heritage journey connecting Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay combined with a visit to Ngoc Vung Island; community eco-tourism tour (a day as a fisherman and learning about the history and culture on Ngoc Vung Island); Sonasea Van Don internal night market...

The district attaches importance to developing service tourism on the basis of green growth, developing green tourism; focusing on linking the tourism industry with other industries and fields, between Van Don and domestic and foreign localities in the tourism product value chain. Along with that, continuing to perfect the infrastructure, synchronous and modern tourism technical facilities, with diverse, unique, professional and high-quality tourism products, gradually forming the Van Don - Co To National Tourism Area according to Decision No. 509/QD-TTg (dated June 13, 2024) of the Prime Minister "Approving the Tourism System Planning for the period 2021-2030, vision to 2045"... With tourism development strategies, Van Don can be confident on the path to conquering the target of attracting over 2 million visitors; of which over 1.8 million are domestic visitors, 200,000 are international visitors. Total revenue from tourism activities is expected to reach 3,500 billion VND in 2025.

Quang Ninh is gradually realizing its goal of becoming a regional and international tourism center, a cultural industrial center with high-class resorts, a synchronous and modern infrastructure system, and diverse tourism products... With specific solutions, determination and drastic actions of units and localities, Quang Ninh will soon meet expectations.

Source: https://baobinhphuoc.com.vn/news/20/171499/xay-dung-trung-tam-du-lich-ket-noi-khu-vuc-va-quoc-te