Developing tourism in Ninh Binh: The Party's policy, the people's aspiration.

Part 1: A Choice of Historical Significance

"Tourism is a strength of our province; we must focus on directing, investing in, and resolving issues related to organization, personnel, infrastructure, service systems, forming tourism routes and the tourism economic sector of the province, attracting domestic and foreign tourists" - These were the initial outlines of the tourism economy emphasized by the first Party Congress after Ninh Binh was re-established (the 12th Provincial Party Congress, August 1992).

The first outline of tourism in the Draft Report on the Situation and Tasks presented at the 12th Provincial Party Congress.

Solving problems with multiple propositions

Many people still recount that, back when the two provinces of Ha Nam and Ninh Binh were large, Ninh Binh was far from the provincial capital, and the land wasn't very fertile for agriculture , so even if they wanted to, it would have been difficult to develop at that time. "The economy developed slowly, even declining in some aspects, while the population increased rapidly. Average national income from production increased by 1.1% from 1986 to 1991, while the population growth rate was over 2.2%. Finance, currency, and the budget were severely imbalanced. This was truly a major economic and social problem..." - The report on the situation and tasks at the 12th National Congress stated.

As someone involved in drafting the documents for the 12th Provincial Party Congress, Comrade Nguyen Thanh Tuc, former Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, recalled: At that time, many lively debates took place within the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee because Ninh Binh had just been separated, presenting both challenges and great opportunities for innovation and progress. The major question was how to reorganize the economic structure, exploit potential and strengths, especially labor, intellect, land, and resources, to gradually stabilize and improve the lives of the people. Some argued that, in addition to agriculture, it was necessary to promote the exploitation of construction materials and develop cement factories to quickly generate revenue for the budget, create jobs, increase income, and help people escape poverty. However, others expressed concern that people could not continue to toil and destroy nature by quarrying stone and burning lime in such a difficult and destructive way. Why hasn't Ninh Binh – a land rich in potential, where history and legends abound everywhere you go, and where beautiful scenery abounds – developed its tourism industry?

Objectively speaking, Ninh Binh province has many advantages for tourism development. It is a land where cultures and religions intersect and converge in the most humane sense, a place blessed by Mother Nature with majestic mountains and cultural heritage preserved in its historical sites and scenic spots. Therefore, despite much debate about choosing a "path out of poverty" for the people, the consensus within the Provincial Party Standing Committee at the time was: "We must consider a solution that is more compassionate towards nature and more far-sighted towards the nation."

And, with just a few brief sentences in the Report on the Situation and Tasks at the first Provincial Party Congress after its re-establishment, Ninh Binh tourism began to take shape and develop. In 1995, Ninh Binh was one of the first provinces in the country to establish a Department of Tourism. At the same time, the province soon implemented the "Master Plan for Tourism Development for the period 1995-2010". Although, in the 1990s, Ninh Binh tourism was still very rudimentary, with only a few main attractions such as the Dinh-Le Temple, Tam Coc-Bich Dong, Cuc Phuong National Park, and Phat Diem Stone Church, it still created many jobs and increased income for the people…

With its strategic vision, Ninh Binh has made a historic choice, a key to unlocking the door to shifting its economic development from "brown" to "green," beginning to form a strategy for green and circular economic development, with the preservation of cultural and natural values ​​as the driving force and strength for development.

During the reform process, the Party and State paid great attention to tourism development. The Sixth National Congress of the Party (December 1986) determined that: It is necessary to quickly exploit the country's favorable conditions to expand tourism using domestic capital and cooperation with foreign countries. Directive 46-CT/TW dated October 14, 1994, on leading, reforming, and developing tourism in the new situation, issued by the Party Central Committee, emphasized: Tourism development is an important strategic direction in the socio-economic development guidelines of the Party and State, contributing to the industrialization and modernization of the country. The Ninth Party Congress (April 2001) further stated: Tourism development should truly become a key economic sector. And in 2017, the Politburo issued Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW dated January 16, 2017, on developing tourism into a key economic sector.

"Breaking through the barriers" of the mechanism.

After nearly 10 years, the tourism industry and tourism network were established, achieving initial socio-economic results and contributing to the budget. However, it wasn't until the 9th National Congress of the Party (April 2001) officially declared: "Developing tourism into a truly key economic sector" that Ninh Binh's tourism experienced stronger growth through appropriate and systematic planning and investment. Simultaneously, it mobilized the strength and active participation of the entire political system, the people, and businesses to collectively think, worry, and create momentum for Ninh Binh's tourism development.

On December 18, 2001, the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee issued Resolution No. 03-NQ/TU "on tourism development from now until 2010". This was the province's first thematic resolution on tourism. The resolution frankly acknowledged: "Tourism activities have not been commensurate with the province's potential and strengths; the tourism industry and tourism activities are developing slowly, and are confused in terms of direction and organization." The main reasons were clearly stated: "Investment in tourism is still small, capital is limited, and infrastructure is poor." Therefore, Resolution 03 also for the first time mentioned the policy of "Encouraging all economic sectors to invest in tourism under the unified management of the State."

Comrade Dinh Van Hung, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee from 2002-2006, stated: "The solutions outlined in Resolution 03 represent a breakthrough in the thinking of the provincial leadership at that time. In reality, the transition of the tourism management model from state-owned to private was a difficult and unprecedented undertaking. Several provinces in the North came to Ninh Binh to learn from our experience, and some comrades even asked me:

- There are no specific guidelines from the central government yet; aren't you afraid of making mistakes?

I replied:

- Whatever benefits the people must be done immediately. We shouldn't let fear of responsibility cause work to stagnate or hinder innovation.

The story of Ninh Binh allocating forest land, privatizing state-owned assets, and contracting them out to private companies for tourism development became a rare phenomenon at that time. However, this "breaking the rules" policy laid the first foundations for the "public-private partnership" model in tourism management and exploitation, yielding tremendous results in the economic development of the province in general and the tourism industry in particular.

Throughout its development, Ninh Binh province has adjusted its policies and development strategies to suit its actual conditions and available resources. Tourism has always been identified as a priority sector that needs to be promoted to create momentum for the socio-economic development of the locality.

Following Resolution No. 03, Resolution No. 15-NQ/TU dated July 13, 2009, of the 19th Provincial Party Committee on the development of Ninh Binh tourism until 2020, with a vision to 2030, laid an important foundation, creating many advantages for the rapid and sustainable development of Ninh Binh tourism. Accordingly, it affirmed that tourism development must harmoniously resolve the relationship of interests between local people, tourism businesses, and the State. At the same time, it set the goal: "To build Ninh Binh into one of the key tourism centers of the country." The most evident result during this period was the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex being recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site. From then on, the name "Ninh Binh" appeared on the world tourism map.

In the 1990s, Tam Coc (Hoa Lu) attracted many domestic and international tourists. (Archival photo)

Stay focused on your goals.

Based on a deep understanding of the changing global, regional, and national situations, the Ninh Binh Provincial Party Committee has promptly formulated policies and strategies that are aligned with the basic goals and directions for development. Tourism has been identified as a key economic sector, striving to become a national tourism hub with an international vision.

Comrade Mai Van Tuat, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, emphasized: From 2001 to the present, the Provincial Party Committee and the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee have issued four specialized resolutions on tourism development, namely: Resolution No. 03-NQ/TU of 2001 on tourism development until 2010; Resolution No. 15-NQ/TU of 2009 on tourism development until 2020, with orientation to 2030; Resolution No. 02-NQ/TU of 2016 on preserving and promoting the value of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site in tourism development during the 2016-2020 period; Resolution No. 07-NQ/TU of 2021 on the development of tourism in Ninh Binh province for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2045. Resolution No. 07 was issued to concretize the Resolution of the 22nd Provincial Party Congress (2020-2025 term) and the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress. The Resolution has shifted the strategic development direction from "broad" to "deep". It identifies the development of Ninh Binh as a tourism center for the whole country and the region, aiming to make tourism a truly leading economic sector.

To put the Provincial Party Committee's Resolution into practice, the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee directed localities and units to concretize the Resolution into specialized resolutions, plans, and action programs for implementation. At the 15th session of the Ninh Binh Provincial People's Council, 15th term, Resolution No. 105/2023/NQ-HĐND was issued "on promulgating regulations on some policies to support tourism development in the province in the period 2023-2030". The Resolution focuses on supporting the development of four main groups of issues: human resource development; participation in domestic and international promotion programs; tourism product development; and preservation and promotion of the value of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, a World Cultural and Natural Heritage site. Each group of issues includes regulations on the subjects, content, conditions, timing, level of support, and guidance on how to prepare application documents for support.

Comrade Mai Van Tuat affirmed: Thanks to timely decisions, the decisive actions of Party committees and authorities at all levels, and the consensus of the people, a very long journey in building the Ninh Binh tourism brand has initially succeeded. Therefore, we should not view the province's tourism development process as merely an economic sector, but rather as a process of Party and government building, demonstrating the Party's consistent, focused, and strategic leadership and guidance, meeting the urgent needs of the people, and sustainably and effectively preserving the cultural, historical, and natural resources that our ancestors have bequeathed to Ninh Binh.

Dr. Ha Van Sieu, Deputy Director of the National Tourism Administration (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), assessed: In 2017, the Politburo issued Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW on developing tourism into a key economic sector. This is the first specialized resolution, with historical significance for the development of Vietnamese tourism. However, for Ninh Binh province, even at the time of its re-establishment, under conditions of many difficulties and limitations, it quickly recognized its potential and strengths to choose tourism as a key economic sector and issued specialized resolutions on tourism development. This demonstrates a historically correct choice, a strategic vision of the provincial leaders throughout different periods, and meets the aspirations of the people. This policy and strategy of Ninh Binh has been ahead of the rest of the country.

At the National Conference on Studying and Understanding the Resolution of the 12th Party Congress, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong emphasized: "The important thing now is to put the Party's Resolution into practice, to organize and implement the Resolution effectively. How can we overcome the situation where the Resolution is correct and good, but slow to be put into practice?" The General Secretary's reminder serves as a guiding principle for Ninh Binh to gradually and successfully implement the path it has chosen.

Nguyen Thom, Quynh Thu,
Duy Hien, Nguyen Luu, Hong Giang

⇒ Part 2: The story of success has no variations.

Source: https://baoninhbinh.org.vn/phat-trien-du-lich-ninh-binh-quyet-sach-cua-dang-khat-vong/d202310230811243.htm