QUẢNG NINH — The northern coastal province of Quảng Ninh, home to UNESCO-recognised natural heritage site Hạ Long Bay, served 9.1 million holiday-makers, including 330,000 foreigners, earning over VNĐ4.25 trillion (US$163.28 million) in the first five months of 2025, up 7 per cent in the number of tourists compared to the same period last years.

According to Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Phạm Đức Ấn, tourism is a key driver of local growth. He urged the province to implement effective measures and organise events to attract visitors during the peak summer season in 2025, aiming to welcome 10.8 million tourist arrivals in the first half of the year.

Local authorities have implemented a range of coordinated measures to boost tourism and service sectors, focusing on efforts to draw more visitors, especially international cruise tourists, and diversifying services and tour routes to Bái Tử Long Bay.

In May alone, Quảng Ninh successfully organised a series of major cultural and tourism events, including the iconic Hạ Long Carnival during the April 30 – May 1 holiday, and the ceremonial procession of the Buddha’s sacred relics to Trúc Lâm Yên Tử Monastery, which attracted over 1.5 million visitors.

Notably, to drive strong tourism growth in 2025 and beyond, Quảng Ninh has adopted a renewed approach to tourism development, concentrating on fundamental and long-term solutions, including improving tourism-related institutions and policies; developing infrastructure, tourism facilities, and  human resources; diversifying tourist markets and products; enhancing promotion and branding efforts, and application of science and technology; and strengthening state management in the tourism sector.

Specifically, the province has completed a master plan to turn Quảng Ninh into a regional and global tourism hub by 2030, with a vision to 2045.

In a long term, Quảng Ninh aims to expand and develop new destinations and routes across Hạ Long Bay, Bái Tử Long Bay, Vân Đồn, and Cô Tô, thus forming high-quality sea and island tourism products. The locality also plans to open a direct tourism route connecting Lan Hạ Bay in the northern city of Hải Phòng, and Hạ Long Bay, towards maximising the potential of Việt Nam's first inter-provincial heritage - World Natural Heritage site—the Hạ Long Bay–Cát Bà Archipelago.

Quảng Ninh sets targets to welcome 20 million tourists in 2025, including 4.5 million international arrivals, with a projected total tourism revenue of VNĐ50 trillion. — VNA/VNS