About 40 new sandbanks and caves can be exploited in Ha Long Bay

Implementing the province's policy of developing unique tourism products, enhancing the experience of visitors to Ha Long Bay, last August, the Ha Long Bay Management Board conducted a survey of caves and sandbanks that have not been exploited in the bay for a long time. On this occasion, reporters from the Provincial Media Center had an interview with Mr. Vu Kien Cuong (photo), Head of the Ha Long Bay Management Board, about this issue.

- Developing new tourism products in Ha Long Bay, including exploiting small sandbanks and new caves, is the desire of many businesses and tourists, and is also a requirement of the province to enhance the experience for tourists. So how will the Ha Long Bay Management Board implement it?

+ In Ha Long Bay, there are a total of about 70 caves and 170 sandbanks, of which about 20 sandbanks and 20 caves can be developed into tourism products. We are currently focusing on a thorough survey, assessing all possible impacts when developing these tourism products. But the spirit is that exploitation must be on the basis of absolutely ensuring the wild beauty, minimizing human impact on the very special natural landscapes of Ha Long Bay.

With that spirit, we are trying to advise the province to put the beach system into operation from now until the end of 2024. After that, we will select a number of caves with the best conditions to put into operation to provide experience services for visitors, such as organizing concerts, singing and dancing in the cave and some other fun and entertainment activities...

Ha Long Bay still has many beautiful unexploited sand beaches and caves.

- The problem of preserving and developing heritages always creates conflicts and challenges. So, in developing new tourism products in the bay, how will the unit handle the problem to harmonize and balance the two above goals?

+ The development of tourism products, especially new products in Ha Long Bay, including the use and exploitation of current tourism resources such as cave systems, ponds, beaches, etc., always has to face the resolution of conflicts. That is to preserve to the maximum the original values, the intact values of the world natural heritage. However, there must also be activities to promote and exploit these values to serve tourists' experiences, as well as to promote the value of Ha Long Bay heritage to be widely spread and be an opportunity for many people to experience the unique values of the heritage.

We always put the conservation requirement first, and the promotion must be calculated and considered carefully, minimizing the adverse impacts on the factors that create the unique value of the heritage. This is what the Ha Long Bay Management Board always puts first. The implementation of this content must also always comply with the provisions of the law on cultural heritage as well as the recommendations and regulations of UNESCO in protecting and preserving the values of the World Natural Heritage Ha Long Bay.

Mr. Vu Kien Cuong and officers of Ha Long Bay Management Board surveyed Tra Gioi sandbank on Ha Long Bay.

- Along with exploiting new sandbanks and caves, this year businesses and units also proposed developing nearly ten new tourism products in Ha Long Bay. So when will these products come into reality?

+ Currently, we are working with businesses, organizations, and individuals who have the need and desire to invest in developing tourism products in Ha Long Bay. We have had a relatively thorough working session and on the one hand, guided organizations and individuals on legal procedures to develop tourism activities, such as: Dragon boat racing, kayaking, rowing boats, visiting and experiencing scenic spots, experiencing fishing villages on the bay, cultural activities of fishermen on Ha Long Bay. The spirit is that businesses are making great efforts, trying, from now until the end of the year we will try to bring as many products into exploitation as possible in the spirit of the province's direction.

- In mid-July, the Provincial People's Committee announced 3 new tours on Ha Long Bay. What do you think is the significance of this in the current tourism development on the bay?

+ Based on the needs of tourists and people interested in Ha Long Bay, we have recently advised the province to open 3 new sightseeing routes on the bay along with maintaining the 5 sightseeing routes that we have been exploiting since 2017 until now. These are the general sightseeing route of the entire bay, the Ha Long Bay - Gia Luan tourist route and the sightseeing and tourism route of the coastal area.

Ha Long Bay now has 8 tour routes, including 3 new routes.

As for the coastal sightseeing and tourism route that has been allowed by the Provincial People's Committee to operate on Ha Long Bay in recent years, I will not mention it anymore. The Ha Long Bay - Gia Luan route is the route connecting Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay, helping tourists to visit Lan Ha Bay, Cat Ba Archipelago through Tuan Chau International Passenger Port or Ha Long International Passenger Port, to have an additional experience when passing through the world heritage Ha Long Bay on the Quang Ninh side.

And it also solves a story that we follow UNESCO's recommendation when deciding to expand the boundary of Ha Long Bay heritage to Cat Ba Archipelago, creating convenience in organizing service activities for tourists as well as ensuring synchronous and unified tourism products between the two localities. At that time, tourist ships will be able to go directly to the two ports of Quang Ninh to pick up passengers, ending the previously cumbersome transfer by canoe.

The general tour route of the entire bay will meet the needs of tourists who want to visit extensively within the scope of Ha Long Bay. The design of this tour route comes from the suggestions of travel agencies as well as the wishes of tourists.

Previously, we designed tours according to separate routes, tourists who wanted to experience all routes would have to buy tickets for all 4 routes at a cost of more than 1 million VND/person. Therefore, we designed a route connecting 4 routes like this so that tourists will experience more tourism products in one visit to the bay. Second is to reduce costs, we are currently proposing a level of only half of the tour fee of the 4 previous routes combined.

Stalactites in Duc Tien Cave - an unexploited cave in Ha Long Bay.

- The Ha Long Bay Management Board has also consulted businesses and domestic and foreign tourists about collecting entrance fees for these tours. I wonder what the results will be?

+ We have collected opinions from more than 20 businesses, travel agencies, companies and 500 questionnaires from domestic and foreign tourists. The organizations and individuals who were consulted all agreed with the development of new tourist routes as well as the proposed fee levels that the Ha Long Bay Management Board plans to propose. Recently, the Provincial People's Committee also held a meeting to listen to and give opinions on the decision on these routes and the expected fee levels that will be submitted to the Provincial People's Council.

- So when will the new sightseeing route fees on Ha Long Bay be applied?

+ Currently, our dossier has been completed according to the procedure for issuing legal documents and will be sent to the Department of Tourism, the agency assigned by the Provincial People's Committee to submit the dossier to the Provincial People's Council to decide on fee collection. It is expected that the dossier will be submitted to the Provincial People's Council at the nearest thematic session from now until the end of the year. And when the Provincial People's Council approves, the resolution will take effect immediately and we will collect fees around the end of this year. Collecting fees on new routes will supplement the budget so that we can continue to have resources to serve the conservation and promotion of the values of the World Natural Heritage Ha Long Bay.

- Thank you for the conversation!

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