Positioning the Bai Tu Long tourism brand.

With the aim of systematically expanding tourism space and transforming Bai Tu Long Bay into a new and attractive destination for tourists, the province's departments, units, and businesses are making efforts to prepare all necessary conditions, especially infrastructure, routes, fleets, and promotional and media activities. This contributes to increasing the attractiveness of tourism products, positioning the Bai Tu Long Bay tourism brand, and preserving the valuable natural heritage.

The small beaches within Bai Tu Long National Park are popular with many tourists.

Building a high-quality fleet.

To effectively manage and develop tourism activities, Quang Ninh province has developed many plans, including the planning and management of tourist vessels. To strictly manage watercraft serving tourists, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 43/2024/QD-UBND (dated October 8, 2024) "On promulgating regulations on measures to manage the operation of inland waterway vessels serving tourists in Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay". Accordingly, the technical standards for accommodation vessels must meet at least VR-SI class; vessels with 20 or more bedrooms are encouraged to meet VR-SB class with steel hulls or equivalent materials; minimum design speed of 8 nautical miles/hour; continuous operating time of 72 hours; and onboard layout must ensure sufficient areas for guest accommodation, meeting 3-star standards or higher according to TCVN 9372:2012 for tourist accommodation vessels.

Currently, the Grand Pioneers luxury cruise ship of Viet Thuan Transport Co., Ltd. is operating several destinations in Bai Tu Long Bay with its "Heritage Connection Journey" covering both Bai Tu Long Bay and Ha Long Bay. With a 3-day/2-night or 4-day/3-night itinerary, tourists can experience the magnificent natural beauty of Ha Long Bay, explore areas within Bai Tu Long National Park, and visit the island communes of Quan Lan, Minh Chau, and Ban Sen in Van Don district...

Mr. Luong The Tuyen, Deputy Director of Viet Thuan Transport Co., Ltd., said: The company has put into operation two Grand Pioneers cruise ships with more than 100 high-class rooms, built according to the most advanced shipbuilding standards in the world today. This is the first fleet of overnight cruise ships in Vietnam to meet the VR-SB technical standard, operating in all coastal waters of Vietnam, reaching speeds of up to 13 nautical miles per hour, and operating for thousands of hours continuously… These parameters also meet the standards for inland waterway vessels issued by the Provincial People's Committee.

The Provincial People's Committee also considered approving the plan for developing the fleet of ships in Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, linked with the communication plan for opening Bai Tu Long Bay for tourism. According to the plan, steel-hulled tourist ships currently operating in Ha Long Bay are encouraged to register and relocate their operations to Bai Tu Long Bay. By 2025, it is expected that 100 tourist ships will be added. During the period 2026-2030, the number of ships added will be reviewed and announced annually to ensure that the total number of ships and total tonnage do not exceed the tourism capacity announced by the competent authority; striving to achieve 100% of tourist ships being newly built/replaced with steel hulls (or equivalent materials) by 2030. At the same time, it encourages the construction of new tourist ships with a capacity of 200 passengers or more, double-bottomed accommodation ships, and improved technical safety and environmental protection standards, with high-quality services.

Mr. Bui Hong Minh, Deputy Director of the Department of Construction, stated: The issuance of regulations on management measures for inland waterway vessels serving tourists in Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay aims to develop and improve the quality of tourist fleets, ensuring they are of appropriate scale and design to suit the landscape of Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay. Simultaneously, it ensures compliance with technical safety and environmental protection standards, resulting in high-quality, modern vessels. Furthermore, it helps functional forces and state agencies control the quality of the fleets, thereby increasing operational efficiency, ensuring traffic safety, and minimizing negative impacts on the natural environment. In particular, the province has established a Tourist Operations Center to manage and coordinate tourist vessel operations effectively, creating transparency for vessel owners and helping them comply with regulations.

Terminal 2 at Ao Tien International Passenger Port will be operational by the end of 2025. — Terminal 2 at Ao Tien International Passenger Port (Van Don district) will be operational by the end of 2025, serving sightseeing routes in Bai Tu Long Bay.

The Provincial People's Committee also aims to improve the efficiency of tourist boat operations; increase the occupancy rate of sightseeing boats from 40-70% on weekdays and 90-100% on peak days, while maintaining an occupancy rate of 70% for overnight boats. Optimizing operating capacity contributes to minimizing resource waste, increasing revenue, and enhancing the quality of the tourist experience.

Following the province's orientation on developing the fleet of ships in Bai Tu Long Bay, businesses have also unanimously agreed and planned to invest in more large ships operating on the Bai Tu Long Bay tourist route. Mr. Ta Duc Quyen, Director of Ao Tien International Port (Van Don district), said: The province's proactive and urgent issuance of decisions announcing the tour itineraries in Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, as well as the plan to develop and improve the quality of the tourist fleet operating in Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay by 2030, is an important prerequisite for businesses to have sufficient basis and conditions to carry out research and investment activities in infrastructure and means to serve the exploitation of the Bai Tu Long Bay tourist route. In the near future, the unit plans to build two new overnight cruise ships in Ha Long Bay to enhance the experience for tourists and target high-quality customer segments.

Ready to embark on a new journey

On July 19, 2024, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 2119/QD-UBND, announcing the tour routes in Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay. Accordingly, the province announced 3 routes connecting Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, along with 10 separate routes exploring Bai Tu Long Bay. These routes have been thoroughly surveyed and include unique destinations such as Soi Sim, Trinh Nu Cave, and many beautiful beaches like Ban Chan and Luoi Liem. These new routes not only provide tourists with new and luxurious sightseeing experiences but also contribute to extending their stay and increasing their spending. With careful preparation, the Bai Tu Long Bay tour route now meets all the necessary conditions to officially launch on March 29th, opening up unique tourist routes to cater to diverse customer segments, especially high-end tourists. The necessary conditions for developing the new tourist route have now been largely met.

Lao Vong fishing village (Bai Tu Long National Park), located within the Bai Tu Long Bay tourist route.

The Department of Construction is actively reviewing and supplementing the necessary conditions to ensure the safety of inland waterways in the Bai Tu Long Bay area; arranging overnight mooring points; and supplementing plans to develop the port and mooring system in the Bai Tu Long Bay area. At the same time, it is adding types of vessels suitable for tourism, connecting Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, to the plan for developing the fleet in Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay.

Together with the Department of Construction, the Bai Tu Long National Park Management Board is also coordinating with businesses to improve infrastructure on tourist routes to Bai Tu Long National Park. Currently, out of the 10 announced Bai Tu Long Bay tour routes, 3 routes pass through points within Bai Tu Long National Park. However, some points on these routes have been areas with poor telecommunication coverage for many years. Recently, the Bai Tu Long National Park Management Board and Viettel Quang Ninh have collaborated to survey and upgrade telecommunication infrastructure to meet the requirements of tourism development, serving the opening and official operation of tourist routes in the Bai Tu Long area. It is expected that this year, in addition to 4G broadcasting, more 5G base stations will be installed in the area, ensuring better signal quality and bandwidth.

Leaders of the Bai Tu Long National Park Management Board surveyed tourist spots in Bai Tu Long Bay.

Mr. Pham Ngoc Vinh, Director of the Bai Tu Long National Park Management Board, shared: "The completion of telecommunications infrastructure in this area makes it more convenient for tourists to communicate, especially to serve the promotion and advertising of attractive destinations in Bai Tu Long Bay. Along with upgrading and completing telecommunications infrastructure, the unit actively coordinates with relevant units to survey and determine the mooring buoy routes and signage for overnight stays and experiential sightseeing points within the management area, ensuring the conditions for welcoming and serving tourists."

During this crucial phase, departments, localities, and units are rapidly supporting businesses, focusing on resolving obstacles and creating favorable conditions for businesses to develop new tourism products in the Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay areas (including coastal areas and surrounding regions) to form a chain of interconnected tourism products. Simultaneously, they are intensifying communication and promotion efforts for Bai Tu Long Bay tourism, maximizing the use of information infrastructure to promote it widely to domestic and international tourists; and coordinating with various media channels to further promote Bai Tu Long Bay tourism to the public and visitors both domestically and internationally.

According to Mr. Nguyen Viet Dung, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, along with implementing legal procedures to promote the development of tourism routes in the Bai Tu Long Bay area, the Department has recently organized many survey trips (famtrips) for domestic and foreign travel businesses to survey and promote tourism routes in the Bai Tu Long Bay area. Currently, businesses have been developing tourism programs to Bai Tu Long Bay and connecting Bai Tu Long Bay with Ha Long Bay. Most recently, Bai Tu Long Bay has attracted a number of high-spending tourists, including billionaires and millionaires from European and North American markets. In addition, some units are researching the introduction of new tourism products, connecting Bai Tu Long Bay with Ha Long Bay and neighboring areas, exploiting small beaches, and focusing on personalization and privacy for high-quality tourists. Arrange for food services, music, paragliding activities, water sports, etc., to create diverse options and attract tourists.

With its vast ocean space, Bai Tu Long Bay is a precious gift that nature has bestowed upon Quang Ninh province. It also serves as a foundation and driving force for the tourism industry to elevate its brand and increase the competitiveness of the destination; and presents a challenge for managers to sustainably develop the potential values of Bai Tu Long Bay in the future.

Hoang Quynh

Source