Up to this point, most of the tourism products related to Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay that units and localities registered to open in 2024 to serve tourists will certainly miss the deadline.
In 2023, those products also missed the deadline because there was no new planning for Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long, and the old planning had expired.
In 2024, the reason why those products cannot be opened is also because there is no new planning for Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long.
Meanwhile, the process and procedures to build a master plan take several years, but every year, localities and departments register to open new products related to Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay to serve tourists.
The question is why, knowing that there is no new planning and it will take a lot of time to make the planning, every year the units propose to build those products?
According to tourism professionals and representatives of some specialized agencies, tourism products that do not involve infrastructure construction do not necessarily need to be planned. For example, fishing experiences, kayaking, dragon boat racing, sailing, and even opening a beach in the middle of the bay - because these beaches do not need to build wharves or shower houses... These products have been tested by businesses before and have been very successful.
"If you still base it on the reason that there is no new planning so you cannot open, then you should not register anymore because every year you will break your promise to tourists" - Ms. Le Minh Nguyet - representative of a travel company - shared.
According to information from the authorities, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is currently submitting to the Prime Minister for approval the task of the detailed planning to preserve, restore and promote the heritage values of Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay; only after this step can the detailed planning be developed and submitted for approval.
Thus, it is expected to take several more years to have a new master plan.
According to statistics from the Quang Ninh Provincial Department of Tourism, by the end of November 2024, 41/67 new tourism products had been put into operation. 10/67 products are being completed and are expected to be put into operation in the last month of this year.
The remaining products are either not open or are undergoing legal procedures, and are proposed to be moved to 2025.
However, according to tourists and travel companies, most of the new products are not really attractive, partly because every district, town, and city has to register to open new tourism products, including localities that do not have strengths in tourism or choose easy-to-make products, such as walking streets.
Implementing adjustments and supplements to the number of new tourism products in the province according to Plan No. 177/KH-UBND dated August 6, 2024, Quang Ninh plans to develop 67 new tourism products to be put into operation to serve tourists in 2024.
Of which, Ha Long Bay area, Bai Tu Long Bay 11 products; Ha Long City 14 products, Dong Trieu 3 products, Uong Bi 2 products, Cam Pha 1 product, Van Don 14 products, Co To 7 products, Tien Yen 1 product, Ba Che 2 products, Binh Lieu 2 products, Dam Ha 3 products, Hai Ha 3 products, Mong Cai 4 products.
Up to now, Van Don district has taken the lead in completing new tourism products, but most of these products are located in 2 resorts of newly put into operation enterprises. Services and products in these 2 resorts include: health care, outdoor sports, beaches, wedding parties, MICE tourism... and are all products that any resort has when it is built.
