A decade of preserving and promoting the value of dual world heritage

In 2014, the event of UNESCO recognizing Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage created an important "push", contributing to making Ninh Binh tourism in just a short time have made long, bold steps forward.

On the days approaching the Year of the Dragon, we had the opportunity to visit Ms. Do Thi Tuyen, who has been working as a boatman at Trang An Ecotourism Area for 20 years. Ms. Tuyen recalled: "Since 2004, when Trang An Ecotourism Area was under construction with more than a dozen boats, I was the one who transported survey teams and workers to work in the tourist area. Up to now, it has been exactly 20 years since I have been working as a boatman, also 20 years of witnessing the changes in tourism in my hometown.

In particular, since 2014, when Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage, it has welcomed many visitors. We are all happy and proud that our homeland is developing day by day, loved by many tourists and known to Ninh Binh ...".

According to Ms. Tuyen, the development of tourism not only helps her have a job and a stable income, but every day she gets to meet and chat with tourists from all over. From a poor woman who was only familiar with the fields, with mud on her hands and feet, she now has a better life. She boasts that she has just repaired her two-story house to celebrate Tet - most of the money she saved from ferry trips on Trang An wharf. From a quiet, reserved person, Ms. Tuyen is now different, she often recites poems, tells stories, and even speaks basic English to foreign visitors. What has made this change if not tourism? For the past 10 years, Ms. Tuyen has always been proud when someone asks about her homeland's heritage.

In recent years, not only Ms. Tuyen but also tens of thousands of workers in the communes of Truong Yen, Ninh Hai, Ninh Thang, Ninh Xuan, Gia Sinh... have had stable lives, better incomes, and improved spiritual lives thanks to tourism development.

In Trang An Eco-tourism Area alone, there are currently 1,300 boatmen working, with an income of 5-6 million VND/person/month, mainly women aged 45-60. The recognition of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex as the first and only dual World Heritage Site in Southeast Asia has become an important milestone in the province's tourism development journey.

After 10 years, Trang An Heritage Site still stands proudly among the green mountains and rivers; it is the pride and honor in the hearts of every Ninh Binh resident in particular and the whole country in general. In particular, this noble title has created a new position and strength for development, gradually turning Ninh Binh tourism into a spearhead economic sector. By the end of 2023, the province's economic structure has shifted towards increasing the proportion of the service sector, in which the service sector accounts for 47.1%; the industrial-construction sector accounts for 42.7%; the agricultural, forestry and fishery sector accounts for 10.2%.

A decade of preserving and promoting the value of dual world heritage — Trang An festival. Photo: Contributor

Mr. Bui Viet Thang, Deputy Director of the Trang An Landscape Complex Management Board (Department of Tourism) said: Immediately after receiving the World Heritage title, to continue to affirm the commitments and responsibilities of managing, preserving, embellishing, introducing and transferring the Heritage to future generations in accordance with the spirit of the World Heritage Convention, on the principle of harmony between conservation and promoting the value of the heritage, contributing to tourism development, the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council and People's Committee have issued many policies and guidelines for sustainable tourism development associated with ensuring livelihoods for the people. Thereby changing the face of localities in the heritage site, transforming the economic structure from agriculture to tourism services. Thanks to that, many traditional crafts have been restored, many new industries have been developed, creating stable jobs for the people.

Over the past 10 years, the number of tourists visiting Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex has increased, especially international visitors. Awareness of protecting, preserving and promoting heritage values has been significantly raised; security, order, environmental sanitation, and tourism infrastructure have been ensured and maintained; tourism culture and civilization have been improved; the quality of human resources and service and reception of guests have gradually become more professional.

In addition, tourism promotion is focused on, taking traditional cultural values and unique natural landscapes to build the image and brand of tourism. Heritage titles play a role as the core, the center to promote tourism development in the whole province, affirming the position of Ninh Binh tourism in the domestic and international tourism market.

Thanks to the good implementation of heritage value conservation work associated with sustainable development, over the past 10 years, Ninh Binh has been voted and mentioned by many prestigious international travel websites as: Top 10 friendliest lands in the world, top 10 best family resorts in the world, one of the 23 best tourist destinations in 2023.

In particular, the UNESCO Director General commented: "This is one of the most exemplary and typical models in the world of the successful combination of economic development and sustainable tourism." The above titles and recognitions not only affirm the efforts and merits in preserving and promoting the heritage values of generations of leaders and people of Ninh Binh, but also motivate Ninh Binh to continue to grow strongly, develop tourism into a spearhead economic sector, a national and international tourism center, and move towards building a Millennium Heritage City in the future...

Minh Hai

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