Promoting the values of “dual” heritage
Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 2014 (the first “dual” heritage in Southeast Asia) which created opportunities and motivation for Ninh Binh to implement a development model that harmoniously combines heritage conservation and green growth, integrating into the network of UNESCO-listed heritage cities in the world.
The world heritage title has positively impacted the development process of Ninh Binh province in a sustainable direction with an economic model shifting from "brown" to "green" focusing on tourism and services based on heritage protection.
Trang An Heritage has affirmed its tourism brand both domestically and internationally. From more than 2.2 million visitors (in 2014), Trang An welcomed more than 4.6 million visitors (in 2023), bringing in revenue of 4,500 billion VND. And in just the first 10 months of 2024, Ninh Binh province welcomed over 7.6 million tourists, an increase of 30.86% over the same period and equal to 102.4% compared to the 2024 plan. Ninh Binh's economic structure has thus shifted towards increasing the proportion of the service industry to 47.1%.
The number of direct workers in Trang An is currently more than 10,000 people, indirect workers are more than 20,000 people. The income of local communities from tourism activities has increased significantly.
Mr. Bui Viet Thang - Deputy Director of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex Management Board (under Ninh Binh Provincial Department of Tourism) - said that Ninh Binh province identifies culture as the most important resource, tourism as its outstanding strength. Over the past years, the province has continuously invested in renovating, restoring, preserving and promoting the value of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex.
Public-private partnership model
According to Director of Ninh Binh Province Department of Tourism Bui Van Manh, Ninh Binh has chosen a management model to preserve intact and sustainable heritage values and promote those values in the local socio-economic development, creating sustainable livelihoods for the people. The model also contributes positively to the protection and promotion of intangible cultural values, such as bringing Xam singing and water puppetry to serve tourists at tourist attractions and routes; enhancing culinary promotion; promoting craft village tourism to create advantages to attract tourists.
“In the management and sustainable development of Trang An World Heritage, the public-private partnership model is no longer a strange concept. The most important thing in this model is the coordination regulations between the parties and the specific responsibilities of each party. Exploitation units must strictly comply with regulations and legal policies; the State must regularly develop and perfect regulations and rules, along with inspection, examination, orientation and timely correction so that enterprises can exploit products in the most sustainable way,” Mr. Manh affirmed.
According to Mr. Manh, in the public-private partnership model on preserving and promoting heritage values, there are four key partners: public partners - the system of State management agencies on heritage; partners are enterprises with sustainable development strategies; partners are local communities and partners are scientists with the function of consulting and connecting the State - Enterprises - People.
The public-private partnership model in preserving and promoting heritage values in Ninh Binh is being implemented in the form of "responsible tourism" based on the outstanding global values of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, with the motto: Turning heritage into assets; turning culture into goods; turning resources into finance; turning resources into motivation; turning the environment into a market; turning value into price...
Ninh Binh province aims to become a centrally-governed city by 2035 with the characteristics of "Millennium heritage city, creative city" with Trang An heritage as the center.
