Destinations
New infrastructure and developments afoot in Quang Ninh province as it gears up to host ATF 2019.
Halong Bay says hello to new highway and airport
“Developing infrastructure, better service standards and local communities to host tourism activities will be key,” said Dr Ha Van Sieu, vice chairman, Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in an interview.
A highway connecting Hanoi directly to Halong Bay, a new international airport as well as four- and five-star accommodations and amusement parks are among the developments planned as the northern province of Quang Ninh gears up to host the 38th ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) and the ASEAN Travel Expo (TRAVEX) in January next year.
“Developing infrastructure, better service standards and local communities to host tourism activities will be key,” said Dr Ha Van Sieu, vice chairman, Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in an interview.
Already, Halong Bay has been welcoming investments in tourism and hospitality from various companies including the Vinpearl Group.
“They see ATF 2019 as a platform to showcase and introduce the new face of Halong Bay hospitality,” he said.
This year, plans to market the destination ahead of ATF are ramping up.
The Quang Ninh province will be working together with the ministry to organise a series of programmes and activities focussed on Halong Bay that will run throughout the year as part of the Visit Vietnam 2018 campaign.
The campaign’s opening in April will be hosted in Halong Bay in Quang Ninh province.
Activities connecting tourism with other sectors such as agriculture and local traditional villages will also be underway.
While the ministry has been promoting Halong Bay since 2003, Halong Bay did not have the capacity to host a large-scale regional event like ATF.
In 2009, it was Hanoi that hosted ATF, said Ha. By next year, he stressed, Halong Bay would be more than ready.