Ngọc Ngà

Quảng Ninh Province is one of the localities that have well-controlled the COVID-19 pandemic, with almost no cases of infection in the past 3 months. Utilising many solutions to catch up with the “new normal”, it is gradually recovering its tourism industry by making domestic travellers a focus.

In order for the tourism industry to regain its growth momentum, Quảng Ninh is using many methods.

Visitors are entitled to free tickets to visit Hạ Long Bay, the Yên Tử tourism site and Quảng Ninh Museum from now until the end of 2021, as well as subsidised bus fares from Vân Đồn airport to Dốc Đỏ, Uông Bí City, and vice versa.

Local tourism and travel businesses are preparing the necessary conditions to resume operations as soon as possible and developing programmes to promote safe tourism.

According to the director of the provincial Tourism Department Phạm Ngọc Thủy, 50 events are going to be held across the province to stimulate travel demand from now to the end of 2021.

The highlight will be events to welcome visitors to “Yên Tử -- An Autumn Journey to Buddha Land” festival, Hạ Long Bay Heritage Marathon and Winter Carnival 2021.

In addition, the province will also organise events for tourism at the district, town and city level and announce stimulus products to increase tourism.

Thủy said the provincial People’s Committee had a plan for tourism recovery in the fourth quarter. It has also completed a provisional set of criteria for COVID-19 safety evaluation based on a safe travel model devised to minimise pandemic-related risks.

The Yên Tử Monuments and Landscapes Complex in northeastern Quảng Ninh is one of the tourist destinations currently chosen by many domestic tourists.

Trúc Lâm Yên Tử Zen Monastery also known as Lân Pagoda is located on Yên Tử mountain, Quảng Ninh. VNA/VNS Photo Thành Đạt

In addition to strictly implementing safety measures to prevent the pandemic such as wearing masks, disinfecting, and making medical declarations, the use of closed-loop services in Yên Tử is being looked at to ensure safety. For cable car services, visitors are encouraged to use separate cabins in order to limit contact and ensure regulations on distance.

According to Lê Trọng Thanh, deputy general director of Tùng Lâm Development Joint Stock Company, this is the right time for travel to restart with the involvement of relevant parties.

“We will implement many promotional programmes and discounts for visitors under the conditions of strictly complying with regulations on pandemic prevention and control,” he said.

“For example, in September, the Legacy Yên Tử Resort offered room rates from VNĐ2.9 million per person on Fridays, afternoon tea and other free services. In the area of Yên Tử Village they will apply a price combo for two guests or more for only VNĐ 499,000 per person. In addition, the company will continue to deploy many tourism products to attract visitors to Yên Tử, including free early morning yoga lessons, bell meditation, relaxation meditation and Nương Village festival night.”

At Hạ Long City, the cultural, economic and political centre of Quảng Ninh, many entertainment and resort complexes such as Vinpearl Hạ Long, FLC Hạ Long and Sun World Halong Complex, have readied infrastructure, personnel, and plans on pandemic safety to welcome visitors back.

Famous for its many unique caves, Hạ Long has become a destination chosen by many tourists for discovery and relaxation. — Photo courtesy of visithalongbay.com

Tourist destinations are prioritized to welcome visitors who have been fully vaccinated, as well as offer closed-loop sightseeing services and stays on the bay with small groups of guests.

Hạ Long Bay is a famous UNESCO World Heritage site featuring thousands of beautiful limestone karsts. — VNA/VNS Photo Trọng Đạt

All cruise ships are fully equipped with masks, antiseptic, and facilities for medical declarations by scanning QR codes for visitors at attractions near Hạ Long Bay. They are also encouraging night tours on the bay that use all-in-one services and do not cause pandemic risks.

Along with that, the province has also organised a large-scale vaccination campaign in all localities.

As a result, more than 1 million doses of vaccine have been given, reaching over 85.47 per cent of the target, making Quảng Ninh become one of the earliest localities to complete the first shot in the country.

Recovery plan

Tourism is the industry hardest hit by the pandemic, but also one of the fastest to recover. However, in order for tourism to fully recover, one of the prerequisites is to ensure a safe environment.

Recently, Vân Đồn International Airport has obtained Airport Health Accreditation from the Airports Council International. This is an important foundation to open up new opportunities for Quảng Ninh tourism to get back on track.

Vân Đồn International Airport re-operates Vân Đồn - Hồ Chí Minh City commercial flights from October. VNA/VNS Photo

Bamboo Airways resumed its service between Vân Đồn airport and Hồ Chí Minh City on October 27 with three flights a week. Vietjet resumed flights on the route on October 31 with one flight every day. Vietnam Airlines is re-opening flights on the route on December 1 with three flights per week.

Welcoming guests from outside the province will be done with strict regulations, specific solutions and careful steps.

To reactivate tourism in the “new normal”, the authorities of Quảng Ninh and neighbouring Hải Phòng City held a meeting in late September to discuss cooperation in tourism development.

The two sides agreed to keep working together to boost tourism, build a mechanism for managing passenger and tourist transport vehicles on Hạ Long and Lan Hạ bays, and complete a dossier seeking the UNESCO recognition of Hạ Long Bay - Cát Bà Archipelago as a world natural heritage site.

Kayaking from Hạ Long Bay to Lan Hạ Bay. — Photo courtesy of vietnamplus.vn

They are expected to sign a set of regulations on tourism activities with pandemic safety taken into account from October, to reopen the industry.

Quảng Ninh identified safety and risk control as the prerequisite for the local administration, travel businesses and residents to succeed in implementing the tourism recovery plan.

As a safe destination, the province is spreading the message “Quảng Ninh Tourism: Safe - Friendly - Alluring” with the aim of welcoming about 2 million tourists and earning VNĐ 4 - 4.5 trillion (US$175 - 197 million) from tourism services in the last quarter of 2021. VNS