Local authority officials and residents welcome the first teams competing in the 2023-2024 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race docking at Hạ Long International Cruise Port of Quảng Ninh. VNA/VNS Photo Văn Đức

QUẢNG NINH Quảng Ninh coastal province, home to the UNESCO-recognised Hạ Long Bay, ​​is increasing tourism services to attract more visitors in 2024.

To offer tourists the best experiences, the province is focusing on developing diverse and unique products with high competitiveness, particularly those of luxury resorts, nightlife, beaches, Hạ Long Bay and Bái Tử Long Bay, according to a Quảng Ninh Portal report.

It is currently focusing on promoting four key product lines of island tourism, spiritual tourism, border trade tourism and community eco-tourism.

The provincial People's Committee has recently announced plans to provide more 62 new tourism products in 2024 to increase experiences, prolong the length of stay and promote the tourist expenditure.

It's aim is to realise a target of welcoming 17 million visitors and at the same time gradually turning the province into a "four-season wonder" destination.

Among the new products, 11 will be launched in Hạ Long Bay and Bái Tử Long Bay tourism sites, such as boat services, water games and traditional boat races.

Hạ Long City will exploit nine more products, including a Korea-style pedestrian street, Bãi Cháy ferry, and community-based tourism in mountainous communes, while Vân Đồn District will have 14 new ones related to health care, outdoor sports, and MICE (Meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) tourism.

The Cô Tô District is expected to have seven new products to take full advantages of islands, entertainment areas and health care tourism.

According to the People's Committee, the provincial tourism authority has request local departments, agents and units to determine a proactive roadmap and tasks for the new products to be launched completely in 2024.

Plans should be set up to boost connection and promotion of other additional services to increase the attraction of destinations and complete the province's tourism ecosystem.

This year, the province will host 186 cultural and sporting events to stimulate tourism, among them are many traditional events that have become trademarks of Quảng Ninh such as Hạ Long Summer Tourism Week 2024, Bạch Đằng Traditional Festival, Quảng Ninh Ethnic Culture Day, a culinary festival, a three-region circus gala, the OCOP summer 2024 fair, a national festival for music, the Quảng Ninh Open golf tournament and Hạ Long Heritage Marathon.

Among the target of 17 million tourist arrivals that the locality is striving to serve this year, three million are foreigners.

During Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday from February 10-14, the province welcomed more than 800,000 tourist, an increase of 17 per cent over the same period last years. Among that number, about 109,000 were foreigners, 6.4 times higher than the same period last year.

Chairman of the Hạ Long City's People’s Committee Nguyễn Tiến Dũng (right) on February 18 visits the Indian billionaire couple who chose to hold their wedding in the city. VNA/VNS Photo

Shine bright future

An increase in the number of tourists to Quảng Ninh, along with an impressive wedding of a wealthy Indian couple and the Clipper Round World Yacht Race dock this month in Hạ Long Bay are among the good signs promising a shine bright future for the provincial tourism sector.

The wedding of Indian billionaire groom Vivek Dinodiya, Director of PL Global Impex Pte Ltd, and bride Anmol Garg, held from February 16 to 18, hosted hundreds of guests, including Indian government officials, representatives from the Indian Embassy in Việt Nam, and prominent entrepreneurs from India and Southeast Asian countries.

Quảng Ninh is working to attract holidaymakers from India, home to over 1.4 billion people, and Muslim-majority countries with more than 1.7 billion Muslims, representing nearly a quarter of the world's population.

With close to 300 million Muslims, Southeast Asia is seen as a potential market for tourism in the province.

Nguyễn Huyền Anh, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Tourism, said to lure Muslim visitors, Quảng Ninh needs to have good infrastructure suitable to their habits and Halal-certified products, and invite Muslim experts to train its tourism workers.

Meanwhile, the first teams competing in the 2023-2024 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race docked on February 18 at Hạ Long International Cruise Port in Quảng Ninh.

The Vietnamese destination is on the fifth leg within the Asia-Pacific Challenge where sailors took part in the race and different activities during the 10-day event.

The teams stoped in Quảng Ninh until February 27 for rest and relaxation. There were numerous sightseeing activities at tourist landmarks, with cultural exchanges along the way.

Quảng Ninh organised various activities on the occasion with a view to popularising local attractions and luring investors, including a welcoming ceremony, a programme to introduce local staples and destinations at Hạ Long International Port, an investment conference, static event and art performances, among others. VNS