Balancing tourism development with natural heritage protection
![]() |
Pham Hong Ha, Chairman of the Ha Long City People's Committee and Head of the Ha Long Bay Management Board |
Ha Long Bay, a World Natural Heritage recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), has played a vital role in attracting visitors to Quang Ninh Province. Could you tell us about the growth in the number of visitors to the bay?
Ha Long Bay has been ranked as a top tourist destination by world leading international organizations, media agencies and websites. From 2014-2018, the number of visitors to Ha Long Bay grew an average of 16 percent per year, and reached an estimated 4.4 million (including almost 2.9 million foreign visitors) in 2019, up six percent from the same period in 2018.
![]() |
Ha Long Bay, an increasingly attractive destination to visitors |
What does the Ha Long Bay Management Board do to preserve and bring into play the values of the world natural heritage?
Like managers of many other heritage sites in Vietnam, the Ha Long Bay Management Board has been working to harmonize conservation and development to preserve the integrity and outstanding values of the heritage site. This includes implementation of sustainable development-oriented conservation projects, evaluation of heritage management and environmental protection solutions, minimization of plastic wastes, and formation of aquaculture zones outside the heritage site’s protected areas.
The management board pursues sustainable tourism management and development, diversification of tourist offerings, especially high-class and high-quality ones (including community-based tours, boat tours and tours to fishing villages), assurance of visitor security, and service quality improvement. The management board also attaches importance to scientific research and assessment, including research and evaluation of Ha Long Bay’s capacity as a basis for developing the bay’s protection, preservation and management, and minimizing the negative impact on the heritage site.
Environmental protection in Ha Long Bay is an important task, with its implementation requiring consistent solutions and actions. The management board will continue to strictly manage services on the bay to ensure a safe and healthy business environment, and improve service quality to better serve visitors.
What plans and policies does the management board have to develop green tourism on a sustainable basis?
Ha Long Bay is a world heritage site and authorities always try their best to make the region a pioneer and exemplary model of environmental protection, especially in minimizing the use of plastic bags and materials. Specifically, the management board plans to minimize plastic waste on Ha Long Bay through education and community awareness improvement. It installed dozens of signboards and issued more than 1,000 brochures on plastic bag and material minimization in different tourist sites and cruise harbors, and promoted the information through the media and the Ha Long Bay fan page.
The management board got 233 enterprises and household businesses offering cruise services, 15 kayaking and rowing service providers, 51 aquaculture facilities and all of the board's employees to sign agreements refusing to use disposable plastic products from September 1, 2019. It has proposed that cruise port-based shops and points of sale stop selling disposable plastic products to visitors and provide them with environmentally friendly products.
As a world heritage site and natural wonder, Ha Long Bay plays an important role in turning the northeastern province of Quang Ninh into a modern service and industrial hub and an international tourist center, Pham Hong Ha, Chairman of the Ha Long City People's Committee and Head of the Ha Long Bay Management Board, told Vietnam Economic News. |
See also

Positive signs for Vietnam’s labour market
07:00 | 08/02/2023 Society

Illegal fishing tackled with drastic measures to remove 'yellow card'
11:13 | 07/02/2023 Society

Hunting for real estate investment opportunities after Tet
09:32 | 03/02/2023 Property

Vietnamese university up 97 places in Webometrics ranking
10:00 | 02/02/2023 Society

PM inspects national key transport projects
09:36 | 31/01/2023 Society

A great chance to invest in commercial property
10:46 | 30/01/2023 Property
See more news

Prime Minister launches New Year tree planting festival
15:36 | 27/01/2023 Society

Vietnamese celebrate Tet overseas
09:00 | 26/01/2023 Society

Party General Secretary extends greetings for Year of the Cat
12:19 | 22/01/2023 Metropolis

Strong recovery of capital's economy
06:00 | 17/01/2023 Metropolis

Animated morning at Nghi Thuy fishing port, Cua Lo Town
10:48 | 16/01/2023 Photo

Hanoi enters New Year with fresh optimism
11:46 | 01/01/2023 Metropolis

The final pitch of GBA Business Challenge 2022 found the winners
11:18 | 29/12/2022 Society

Kaspersky outlines top five cyberthreats for entrepreneurs
14:26 | 27/12/2022 Society

Empowering Safety program launched to save vulnerable young lives on the road
13:15 | 26/12/2022 Society

Vietnam looks ahead to 2023 climate summit
06:00 | 25/12/2022 Environment

Foreign visitors to Vietnam surge 44.2 times
09:12 | 08/02/2023 Infographic

British official in Vietnam to boost accession to CPTPP
09:00 | 08/02/2023 News and Events

Banks lower saving interest rates right after Tet
08:22 | 08/02/2023 Finance-Banking

Positive signs for Vietnam’s labour market
07:00 | 08/02/2023 Society

Artists Cơ, Nghiệp set Guinness World Record in last int'l show
06:00 | 08/02/2023 Lifestyle
Multimedia

Foreign visitors to Vietnam surge 44.2 times
09:12 | 08/02/2023 Infographic

The woman who revived Kim Hoang folk paintings
06:00 | 04/02/2023 Entertainment

Artists Cơ, Nghiệp set Guinness World Record in last int'l show
06:00 | 08/02/2023 Lifestyle

The unique Giong Festival of Hanoi
09:00 | 07/02/2023 Photo

Ministry of Industry and Trade: New posture and mindset for the new development period
11:41 | 17/01/2023 Longform

Screening tools to enhance FDI quality
06:00 | 05/02/2023 Policy

Prime Minister demands faster disbursement of public investment capital
17:29 | 03/02/2023 Policy

Deputy FM highlights role of economic diplomacy in service of national development
11:05 | 01/02/2023 Policy

Việt Nam supports expansion of UN Security Council
06:00 | 30/01/2023 Policy

Industrial production: Achievements and lessons
06:00 | 08/02/2023 Industry

Food and beverage industry to do well this year despite modest economy
13:00 | 03/02/2023 Industry

Moving ahead with 2023’s Global Priorities: Electrification and Decarbonization
15:05 | 02/02/2023 Industry

Hanoi eyes 950 firms in support industries this year
06:00 | 02/02/2023 Support industries

Hanoi, HCM City record highest disbursement of public investment capital in January
08:20 | 07/02/2023 Domestic investment

Hai Phong pledges optimal conditions for investors
09:00 | 04/02/2023 FDI

Greening foreign investment
06:00 | 03/02/2023 FDI

Southeast region prepares for new FDI wave
09:18 | 02/02/2023 FDI

Banks lower saving interest rates right after Tet
08:22 | 08/02/2023 Finance-Banking

Foreign investors remain optimistic about Vietnamese stock market
09:03 | 06/02/2023 Stock Market

Tax revenue up 4.4 percent year-on-year in January
08:40 | 03/02/2023 Finance-Banking

State-owned banks under capital increase pressure
10:52 | 01/02/2023 Finance-Banking

Vietnam looks ahead to 2023 climate summit
06:00 | 25/12/2022 Environment

Preserving nature, facilitating business
06:00 | 10/12/2022 Environment

AkzoNobel Vietnam protects Cu Lao Xanh lighthouse against harsh weather
11:40 | 24/11/2022 Environment

JTI Vietnam commits to net zero greenhouse gas emissions
16:25 | 15/11/2022 Environment

Seven technologies to watch in 2023
06:00 | 07/02/2023 Science - Technology

Technology trends to watch in 2023
06:00 | 05/02/2023 Science - Technology

Managed security provides IT talent gap solution for businesses in SEA
16:34 | 30/01/2023 Information technology

Headquarters of Vietnam-Korea Institute of Science and Technology inaugurated
09:23 | 30/01/2023 Science - Technology

Positive signs for Vietnam’s labour market
07:00 | 08/02/2023 Society

Illegal fishing tackled with drastic measures to remove 'yellow card'
11:13 | 07/02/2023 Society

Hunting for real estate investment opportunities after Tet
09:32 | 03/02/2023 Property

Vietnamese university up 97 places in Webometrics ranking
10:00 | 02/02/2023 Society

JTI Vietnam certified as Top Employer for 3rd year
15:05 | 07/02/2023 Companies

Doosan Vina and Chung Ang University continue educational CSR program
10:32 | 06/02/2023 Vietnamese Brands

Nestlé Vietnam and the journey to sustainable development
13:00 | 10/01/2023 Companies

VIMC embarks on strong recovery
06:00 | 10/01/2023 Companies

Artists Cơ, Nghiệp set Guinness World Record in last int'l show
06:00 | 08/02/2023 Lifestyle

The unique Giong Festival of Hanoi
09:00 | 07/02/2023 Photo

Late artist Nguyen Tu Nghiem's works on display in rare exhibition
08:00 | 07/02/2023 Lifestyle

The woman who revived Kim Hoang folk paintings
06:00 | 04/02/2023 Entertainment

Foreign visitors to Vietnam surge 44.2 times
09:12 | 08/02/2023 Infographic

About nine million Vietnamese travel during Tet holiday, revenues down
09:00 | 07/02/2023 Tourism

18,000 tourists spend US$18.3 million on foreign tours during Lunar New Year
08:00 | 05/02/2023 Tourism

Vietnam listed among top places to visit in the New Year
06:00 | 04/02/2023 Tourism