Synchronous transport infrastructure - Growth driver of tourism industry

As one of the international tourism centers, Quang Ninh tourism industry has had quite impressive growth in the recent period. The socio-economic efficiency of tourism activities is increasingly evident, not only contributing to the overall economic growth of the province but also promoting other industries. To achieve this result, the province has quickly identified challenges to find ways to resolve them. In particular, completing the connecting traffic infrastructure is one of the key tasks, which has clearly shown its effectiveness.

Báo Quảng Ninh•21/05/2025

Quang Ninh tourism flourishes with infrastructure

Possessing many potentials and outstanding advantages such as the World Heritage - Natural Wonder of Ha Long Bay, a diverse system of islands and about 600 relics and tourist destinations... however, looking back 10 years ago, when the transport infrastructure was still lacking and weak, Quang Ninh was not really an attractive destination for tourists. According to statistics from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in 2015 the number of visitors to the province only reached 7.7 million, the contribution to the province's GDP was still modest.

Ha Long International Passenger Port is the first specialized port in the country to receive international tourist ships.

Mr. Nguyen Viet Dung, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: The biggest barrier to tourism in Quang Ninh at that time was the lack of synchronous infrastructure. The road to the province was mainly through National Highway 18, which was overloaded, narrow, and took a long time to travel. Although tourist destinations in the province had begun to expand, they were still scattered, monotonous, and lacked cohesion due to difficult transportation; service quality was still low, professionalism was still lacking... This caused the tourism potential and strengths of Quang Ninh to not be exploited and promoted to their full potential.

Indeed, to get to the heritage site of Ha Long Bay at that time, tourists had to travel by car for 3.5 hours if coming from Hanoi; the old tourist port system at Bai Chay and the attractions on the Bay had degraded over time; accommodation and entertainment services were still monotonous. Similarly, to continue the journey to Van Don and Mong Cai, where there are the most beautiful beaches in Vietnam, with border gate commercial tourism... tourists also had to spend the same amount of time to continue their journey on National Highway 18. The ports that take tourists to the island route in Van Don district operated according to the general port model, which was quite shabby and inconvenient when the fishing port operated together with the passenger port. This, which received many complaints from tourists, made the image of Quang Ninh tourism less attractive and unprofessional.

Clearly identifying those barriers and challenges, with the view that transportation is the "connecting thread", the "lever" for tourism development. Even if a destination is attractive, but if transportation is not convenient, poor connection will also have difficulty attracting customers... therefore, in the Master Plan for tourism development of the province with a vision to 2030 with the goal of consolidating its position as a national tourism locomotive, an international tourism center, attracting tourists from all 5 continents and becoming a destination not to be missed when coming to Vietnam... Quang Ninh has devoted important resources, giving priority to developing transportation infrastructure associated with tourism development.

Completion of the provincial highway has contributed to shortening the connection time between tourist destinations in the province, making it more convenient for tourists to come to Quang Ninh.

The starting point for the chain of invested infrastructure to promote tourism development is that, since 2016, the province has decided to move all cruise ship operations in Ha Long Bay to Tuan Chau International Passenger Port instead of operating at Bai Chay Port which has been degraded. The Port has become an important, synchronous, and modern traffic gateway to welcome tourists to visit the Bay. Up to now, the Port continues to be an important traffic infrastructure, constantly innovating and improving service quality, welcoming millions of tourists through the port to visit Ha Long Bay each year, which is highly appreciated by tourists.

To enhance connectivity and shorten travel time for tourists, in early 2019, Quang Ninh continued to put the Hai Phong - Ha Long - Van Don expressway into operation; officially operated Van Don Airport and Ha Long International Passenger Port with a total investment capital for the projects of up to nearly 40,000 billion VND. By 2022, the expressway section along the province connecting to Mong Cai was also completed, connecting the capital Hanoi to the most beautiful beach in Vietnam, Tra Co (Mong Cai City) with a travel time of only about 3 hours; in 2023, Quang Ninh's island tourism routes officially had a new Ao Tien port with more than 50 high-quality passenger ships in operation... Quang Ninh's transport infrastructure has been gradually connected synchronously, the province's tourism has been gradually upgraded with the province's attention and meticulousness, and the companionship of businesses.

Quang Ninh is set to welcome its 3 millionth international visitor in 2024, marking a new record for the Quang Ninh tourism industry.

Possessing new traffic infrastructure works, up to now, the province's traffic infrastructure has met the practical needs, the strengths and outstanding potentials of tourism have been gradually exploited effectively; creating competitiveness, Quang Ninh has become an investment destination for many prestigious tourism businesses, creating many high-class and attractive tourism products, such as: Tuan Chau International Tourism Area, Golf Course; Ocean Park; Wyndham Garden Sonasea Van Don Resort... creating great attraction for tourists. This has brought strong growth to Quang Ninh tourism in recent years. In 2024, the province reached a record when welcoming 19 million visitors, nearly 3 times higher than 10 years ago when the traffic infrastructure was lacking. From there, it affirmed the right direction of the province when prioritizing resources to sustainably develop the key economic sector of tourism with synchronous infrastructure.

Determined to set a new record in tourism

Possessing synchronous infrastructure and convenient connections, in 2025, to create momentum, create force, create position, and create rhythm with the province's overall growth reaching 14%, Quang Ninh aims to attract 20 million visitors, revenue reaching about 55,000 billion VND, an increase of 18.1% compared to 2024, setting a new record in the number of visitors to the province after decades of tourism development.

Ha Long Bay is continuing to review, supplement and improve service quality.

To kick off this extremely heavy task, right from the beginning of the year, the province has resolutely directed, operated, and seriously implemented the Prime Minister's Official Dispatch No. 34/CD-TTg on promoting tourism development, ensuring a double-digit economic growth rate. The province's goal is to effectively exploit new development opportunities and renew existing potentials, strengthen promotion, effectively apply technology to ensure unified and professional implementation in promotion to boost the tourism industry.

Accordingly, Quang Ninh continues to carry out key tasks in developing tourism infrastructure. The province is focusing on expanding the space for tourism development with a focus, key points, associated with environmental protection, landscape preservation, conservation, and promotion of heritage values. At the same time, building and developing 4-season tourism products, night-time economy, digital economy on the basis of maximizing the advantages of new projects, unique products with high spending levels, maximizing the exploitation of the international standard golf course system, along with many large-scale 5-star resort complexes. The province also focuses on linking the tourism industry with other industries and fields, between Quang Ninh and domestic and foreign localities in the value chain of sea tourism products, eco-tourism, unique high-end resort tourism, etc. to extend the length of stay and spending of tourists, especially luxury tourists.

Tourists disembark from the cruise ship to visit Ha Long Bay from Tuan Chau International Passenger Port.

The province has directed units and localities to effectively implement tourism activities and festival activities, develop plans to organize more than 170 attractive events to attract international and domestic tourists; coordinate with departments, branches and localities to focus on exploiting and improving the quality of products, tourism and services, especially food, accommodation and sightseeing services to increase revenue and economic efficiency of tourism and services; research and develop new tourist routes and destinations in Ha Long Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay, Cua Luc Bay, Van Don, Co To, forming high-quality and unique sea and island tourism products, attracting new sources of visitors, increasing revenue from sea and island tourism and budget collection. With many positive solutions, in the first 4 months of this year, Quang Ninh welcomed 7.58 million tourists to the province, an increase of 7% over the same period in 2024. Of which, international visitors reached 1.57 million; The number of overnight guests is estimated at 1.9 million, up 13% over the same period. Total tourism revenue reached VND 18,310 billion, up 26% over the same period in 2024.

According to some experts, with such favorable infrastructure, Quang Ninh's goal of welcoming 20 million visitors, reaching a new record in the number of tourists to the province in 2025, is very feasible. However, this number can still increase if the province continues to pay attention to infrastructure investment, including both hard and soft infrastructure. In the immediate future, for soft infrastructure, it is necessary to promote the digitization of tourism databases from destinations, accommodation facilities, and traffic infrastructure with specific instructions; position the brand on media platforms to form electronic handbooks to support tourists; promote connection activities with localities that have signed tourism cooperation agreements to exchange tourist sources; diversify and synchronize the system of sightseeing and experiences from islands, culture, spirituality, resorts to highlands, borders, etc. The province continues to invest, build, and expand sightseeing and accommodation spots; Review and renovate tourist ports, especially island routes and tourist attractions in the Bay; complete mountainous transport infrastructure early to develop types of experiential and resort tourism...

Many tourism events organized by the province have attracted a large number of visitors to Quang Ninh.

These are essential conditions in the current period of strong competition in the tourism industry, so that Quang Ninh continues to be an attractive destination for every tourist, the tourism industry continues to achieve new growth records, is a key economic sector, contributing to the overall growth of the province.

Do Phuong

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/ha-tang-giao-thong-dong-bo-dong-luc-de-nganh-du-lich-tang-truong-3358660.html