International scientific conference: Brand value of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex associated with heritage conservation policy and sustainable tourism development

On August 19, Ninh Binh Provincial People's Committee coordinated with the School of Interdisciplinary Sciences and Arts (Hanoi National University); UNESCO Office in Vietnam to organize an international scientific conference: Brand value of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex associated with heritage conservation policies and sustainable tourism development.

Báo Ninh Bình•19/08/2025

Conference scene.

Comrades: Tran Song Tung, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Kim, Vice Chairman of the National Cultural Heritage Council, member of the World Heritage Committee; representative of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO; leaders of the Interdisciplinary and Artistic School (Hanoi National University); leaders of the Ninh Binh Department of Tourism chaired the Workshop.

The workshop was attended by Mr. Poshitha Perera, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Vietnam; Ms. Kham-Phao, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Lao People's Democratic Republic to Vietnam; Mr. Jonathan Wallace Baker, Chief Representative of the UNESCO Office in Vietnam; experts, scientists , international organizations; leaders of provincial departments, branches and sectors; communes, wards and tourism businesses in the Heritage Area.

The introduction of the workshop was delivered by Mr. Tran Song Tung, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, emphasizing: Ninh Binh province owns a complex heritage ecosystem including cultural heritage, settlement heritage, natural landscapes and biodiversity... Recognizing the great value of natural and cultural heritage, Ninh Binh province has prioritized focusing resources on scientific research, investing in building synchronous tourism infrastructure, improving traffic connections, upgrading ancillary services, and at the same time restoring landscapes, embellishing historical relics, scenic spots, and restoring traditional cultural spaces. These projects not only contribute to preserving and promoting heritage values, but also become attractive destinations, creating strong appeal to domestic and foreign tourists, promoting sustainable tourism development and improving the lives of local communities...

Comrade Tran Song Tung, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee delivered the opening speech and introduced the workshop.

The workshop is of great significance in creating a forum for scientists, experts, managers, businesses and the community to share knowledge, experience and creative solutions in managing, preserving and exploiting the Heritage. This is not only an opportunity for Ninh Binh province to learn valuable lessons from domestic and international practices, but also an opportunity to spread the image, value and global brand of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex. Through the workshop, Ninh Binh province hopes to continue to build a common vision and practical recommendations on mechanisms and policies, on that basis, to propose the "Trang An Document", a document with an orientational meaning, both sharing lessons and experiences, and affirming the province's commitment and determination in the management and conservation of the Heritage.

The workshop is an opportunity for the locality, experts and scientists to continue discussing and comprehensively assessing the brand value of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex; unifying views on the importance of preserving the Heritage, selecting and assessing the advantages, difficulties and challenges, proposing specific actions to adjust, supplement and plan a long-term sustainable development strategy for the Heritage.

Trang An Heritage aims to take nature as the foundation, culture as the driving force and people as the center in shaping a sustainable future; therefore, through the Workshop, we will continue to perfect and implement the public-private partnership model in managing, preserving and promoting heritage values; promote socialization in promoting heritage values; perfect the cooperation model: State - Scientists - Enterprises - People. Identify people as the subject and goal of sustainable development; enhance the responsibility of the whole community, create conditions for people to participate in protecting heritage, preserving historical - cultural relics, intangible cultural heritages, developing biodiversity, creating jobs and good income for the community living in the heritage area.

At the Workshop, Ninh Binh province hopes to receive contributions from domestic and international experts, researchers and managers to share experiences, discuss policies and models for management and conservation of Heritage and propose appropriate solutions and strategies, continue to honor and affirm the role and importance of the outstanding global values of Trang An Heritage in the new space of Ninh Binh province and continue to fulfill commitments to UNESCO in management and promotion of values to preserve and conserve Heritage for future generations in the spirit of the 1972 Convention on the Protection of Cultural and Natural Heritage adopted by the UNESCO General Assembly.

According to the summary report, the province currently has nearly 5,000 relics, including 8 special national relics, 33 national intangible cultural heritages, and a World Cultural and Natural Heritage - Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex. Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex was officially recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 2014, the first mixed Heritage of Vietnam and Southeast Asia, marking an important historical milestone in the socio-economic development associated with Heritage conservation; at the same time affirming the position of Ninh Binh on the global heritage map.

The requirements and recommendations of the World Heritage Committee were directed by Ninh Binh province to be implemented seriously and responsibly. The outstanding global values of the heritage were respected and preserved; awareness of local authorities and communities about the role and importance of the heritage was raised; scientific research was promoted; promotion, dissemination and interpretation of the values of the heritage associated with tourism development were regularly innovated. These are specific solutions and actions, a strong commitment of Ninh Binh province to ensure the integrity, authenticity and outstanding global values of the heritage.

Ninh Binh is one of the localities that has flexibly and effectively applied the public-private partnership model, ensuring harmonious benefits among the parties: Community (people) - Government - Enterprises, along with the participation and companionship of experts and scientists. The economic restructuring from agriculture to tourism services towards green and sustainable growth has promoted the vitality, potential and value of heritage, so that heritage truly belongs to the community, is protected and promoted by the community. Trang An scenic complex has become the nucleus to promote the development of tourism, services, and handicrafts, harmoniously connecting heritage conservation, ensuring social welfare and sustainable livelihoods.

In 2024, Ninh Binh province coordinated with the School of Interdisciplinary Sciences and Arts (Hanoi National University) and international experts to implement the Project "Evaluating the economic value of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex". The results of the Project determined that the total economic value of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex was quantified at about 213 billion USD, including core value groups such as: Tourism and entertainment value; karst system value; biodiversity value; archaeological value; Trang An special-use forest value; cultural value, religious beliefs; folk performing arts value; residential land value from the impact of core and buffer zone heritage.

The evaluation results also come with recommendations for 5 specific development models, policies and international conventions on heritage conservation according to UNESCO standards. Scientific contributions from the perspective of quantifying the economic value of heritage have contributed to fully identifying the values of Heritage, affirming decisions on tourism development, cultural industry, urbanization according to the characteristics of heritage and millennium cultural landscape, along with ensuring social welfare and equity in the development of Ninh Binh province, which are strategic orientations, which can be lessons for localities with world heritages...

Mr. Jonathan Wallace Baker, Chief Representative of UNESCO Office in Vietnam, spoke at the Workshop.

At the Workshop, there were 16 presentations by leaders, experts, and scientists from home and abroad, contributing many enthusiastic opinions with high scientific and practical value, aiming to continue analyzing and clarifying the outstanding global values of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex; thereby deeply identifying the role and influence of the Heritage brand on the strategy, orientation of conservation, and promotion of values associated with sustainable tourism development and social development.

Prof. Kono Masamitsu, Japanese Tourism and Services Expert, spoke at the Workshop.

The workshop adopted the "Trang An Document", continuing to affirm the strategic vision, establishing the orientation to turn Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex into a typical model of sustainable development based on heritage, with Nature as the foundation, Culture as the driving force, People as the center and Community as the subject. The document affirms the responsibility, aspiration and determination to preserve and promote the value of Trang An heritage. This is also a strong message affirming Trang An as a source of inspiration and symbol of peace, creativity and sustainable development, an orientation for the sustainable, harmonious and developing "Urban - Heritage - Ecology - Culture" model.