Ha Long makes breakthrough in tourism and services

Overview of Ha Long city (Photo: baoquangninh.com.vn)

Every year, Ha Long’s authority makes plans in line with building the city as a civilized and friendly tourist municipality. Specifically, the city’s working theme for 2016 was “Building a civilized lifestyle, Improving the quality, responsibility, and efficiency of public service performance”, 2017 was “Enhancing administrative disciplines” while 2018 was “Protecting and improving the quality of natural environment, Building a smart city” and 2019 is “Improving the quality and efficiency of services, Building a green, clean and smart city”.

Besides, the city carried out a number of tourism projects, namely Tourism Development at the Center of Ha Long City by 2010, Ha Long Tourism Development by 2020, Ha Long Bay Fishing Village’s Cultural Values Preservation and Promotion, Typical Roads and Streets…

During the implementation, the city’s authority also strengthens propaganda activities and calls for local people’s involvement in ensuring urban order and traffic safety as well as environmental hygiene. The city has moved out of the city nearly 200 small industrial production establishments, which are not suitable with urban plannings or cause environmental pollution. It has also collected and treated waste on Ha Long Bay. 100% of tourist boats on the bay install oil and water separators.

One of the greatest changes contributing to developing Ha Long’s tourism is synchronous investment in infrastructure. Ha Long City now owns connected highways and a specialized cruise port, the first of its kind in Vietnam. Ha Long is sandwiched in 2 international airports, namely Van Don International Airport and Cai Bi International Airport (Hai Phong). Thanks to different sources, the city also gives priority to upgrading and expanding almost main roads and routes connecting with tourism sites.

Ha Long’s tourism is changing in terms of both quality and quantity, making breakthroughs in economic structure. In the first 8 months of 2019, the city nearly met the target of receiving 8 million tourist arrivals which is set for 2020. This marks the city’s success in shifting from “brown growth” to “green growth” in accordance with the government and province’s plannings and orientation./.