In 2024, departments, branches, and localities of Quang Ninh registered to launch 62 tourism products to serve tourists.
In particular, in Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, there are 11 products with sightseeing and accommodation boat services with itineraries from Ha Long Bay to Bai Tu Long Bay; developing sightseeing and accommodation tours on Bai Tu Long Bay; organizing entertainment services; underwater entertainment; cultural tourism products; pearl farming and processing experiences; traditional dragon boat racing on Ha Long Bay...
A representative of the Quang Ninh Province Department of Tourism said that they are continuing to update the progress of the products of the units, but with many problems and difficulties in the products related to Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, it is difficult to launch them this year.
Thus, for the second consecutive year, the most anticipated tourism products in Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay have continued to be delayed.
In 2023, out of 38 registered products, Van Don district has 6 new tourism products, of which 3 are related to Bai Tu Long Bay, Bai Tu Long National Park and are expected to start serving tourists from June 2023. However, after completing the project, the answer was... that we have to wait for the new planning for Ha Long Bay, Bai Tu Long.
It is known that Quang Ninh province has just submitted to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for comments on the task of implementing the planning of Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay. Thus, from this stage until the completion of the new planning of Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, it will take a lot of time.
This is also one of the reasons why, although Quang Ninh has expanded its space to Bai Tu Long Bay and currently has a super yacht running the Ha Long - Bai Tu Long Bay route, the ship only runs at sea without any stopping points and must return to Ha Long Bay at night to anchor because there is no anchorage point in Bai Tu Long Bay.
According to representatives of some overnight cruise lines in Ha Long Bay, to exploit a new tourism product, it will take at least 1 year, even 2 years to promote and advertise tourism, especially for international tourists. However, before promoting to find new markets, local mechanisms, policies and planning must be completed.
Representatives of some travel agencies and shipping lines also said that, through research, tourism products that do not require investment in infrastructure construction do not need to wait for planning. However, currently, every time opinions are given on building a new tourism product, there are still many different opinions, so the meetings always fall into a dead end. That makes even the traditional rowing and dragon boat racing products - which were once successfully piloted - continuously miss their deadlines.
According to Mr. Nguyen Lam Nguyen - Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism of Quang Ninh province - while waiting for the new planning for Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, this department and related units proposed a number of solutions to remove obstacles, in which products not related to investment and construction should be implemented soon, such as: rowing, traditional dragon boat racing; opening more beaches in the middle of the sea...
