Implementing the 2-level local government model, Quang Ninh province reorganizes from 171 communes and wards to 54 communes, wards and special zones.
According to statistics from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Quang Ninh province currently has 1 national tourist area, 5 provincial tourist areas and 88 tourist attractions that have been recognized and distributed in 37/54 communes and wards.
Yen Tu ward was formed on the basis of merging 3 commune-level administrative units, including: Phuong Dong ward, Phuong Nam ward and Thuong Yen Cong commune, with an area of over 113km2 and a population of nearly 39,000 people.
On July 12, 2025, at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son Monument and Scenic Landscape Complex was officially recognized as a World Cultural Heritage.
This is a new opportunity for Yen Tu ward to complete its goal of becoming a high-quality cultural - ecological - resort tourism center, striving to welcome 2 million visitors in 2025.
Mr. Mac Xuan Tu - Chairman of Yen Tu Ward People's Committee - said: Yen Tu Ward today has a space that is both imbued with cultural and historical heritage and rich in cultural identity. This is the foundation for Yen Tu to maximize the potential for tourism development.
To promote the value of Yen Tu world cultural heritage, the ward has coordinated to organize Yen Tu Festival -en Thu Festival from September to the end of 2025. The festival has a series of activities bearing a strong cultural - meditation - community imprint such as: Nuong Village Festival with Xam art, special performances by the Dao Thanh Y people, releasing flower lanterns and carrying Mid-Autumn lanterns; art shows "Yen Tu Son Music", "Tinh hoa Viet Culture", weekly traditional fashion shows.
Visitors can also experience tours to explore heritage such as "Journey in the footsteps of Buddha", "Dong Pagoda Sunrise", recitation, participating in folk games, enjoying vegetarian cuisine, traditional markets...
According to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the arrangement of administrative boundary mergers helps streamline the apparatus, bringing many advantages but also poses many challenges.
Many commune and ward officials have approached tourism management for the first time; some tourist areas and destinations are now under the management of many units, requiring close coordination so as not to be interrupted.
Typically, Binh Lieu tourist area is currently managed by three communes. Hoanh Mo commune has international border gates and border tourist attractions; Luc Hon commune is the "festa center" of the region; while Binh Lieu commune has many famous attractions and accommodation facilities. The division of roles and coordination between communes is considered an urgent problem to ensure sustainable development and promote the cultural identity of border areas.
Arranging administrative units is both an opportunity to expand development space and a challenge in tourism management. After the transition period, the tourism industry of Quang Ninh province will have more foundations to make a breakthrough, affirming the role of the local socio-economic growth driver.
According to statistics, in the first 8 months of 2025, the total number of tourists to Quang Ninh reached 16.2 million, of which international visitors reached 2.94 million. Total tourism revenue is estimated at VND41,380 billion, up 21% over the same period.
