Developing tourism in the Mong Cai border region.

With its unique geographical location, scenic beauty, and rich history, the border city of Mong Cai has always been an attractive destination for tourists. In recent years, along with improvements in transportation and tourism infrastructure, Mong Cai has undergone significant transformation, leveraging its potential and becoming an appealing destination on the Vietnamese tourism map.

The Mong Cai International Border Gate is bustling on weekends.

With the return of the Chinese tourist market to Vietnam, Mong Cai has also welcomed a large number of tourists from this market to visit and experience the area. In the first six months of this year, the total number of entries and exits through the Mong Cai International Border Gate and the Bac Luan II Border Gate reached over 3.5 million, of which over 862,000 were Chinese tourists. To attract tourists, the city has proactively improved the quality of existing tourism products and developed new ones to meet the needs and tastes of Chinese tourists, such as Chinese culinary tourism and golf tourism. Ms. Chen Hui (a Chinese tourist) said: “My family had planned a trip to Mong Cai and Ha Long in Quang Ninh many months ago. The customs procedures at the border gate were also very quick and convenient.”

Besides the Chinese tourist market, thanks to convenient transportation infrastructure, the number of domestic tourists visiting Mong Cai has increased rapidly. Especially this year, with high airfare prices, nearby travel and independent travel have become a trend, with many tourists from Hanoi , Hai Phong, and other northern provinces choosing this border city. Popular destinations in Mong Cai, from Sa Vi Cape and Tra Co Beach to cultural and spiritual sites showcasing local traditions, are all bustling with tourists, especially on weekends.

Popular tourist attractions in Mong Cai City are always crowded with visitors.

To achieve these results, from the early months of 2024, Mong Cai City directed efforts to maximize the potential, advantages, and tourism resources of the city, diversifying new tourism products with unique cultural values, land, and people of Mong Cai, such as: pedestrian streets, food streets, Hai Son - Bac Son experiential tourism, Tra Co - Binh Ngoc - Vinh Thuc - Vinh Trung resort tourism, self-driving cross-border tourism, community tourism experiences of fishermen's lives in island communes... City-level agencies and sectors also proactively carried out the work of preserving, promoting, and enhancing the value of cultural heritage associated with tourism development in the area. At the same time, they successfully organized 4 ceremonies to announce decisions and receive certificates of ranking national-level special, national, and provincial-level historical sites; 5 traditional temple and communal house festivals…

Ensuring a favorable business environment for tourism is also a priority for the city, with stricter state management of tourism service activities. In the first six months of the year, city authorities inspected and imposed administrative penalties on 70 tourism businesses, collecting over 1.9 billion VND for the state budget. This has created a ripple effect among those working in the tourism industry, encouraging them to strictly comply with legal regulations while conducting business.

Mr. Tran Van Lang (a small business owner at Mong Cai Central Market) shared: "With the development of tourism, business at the market has also improved significantly. Small business owners have also raised their awareness and responsibility in preserving the image of Mong Cai tourism and are committed to strictly complying with regulations on goods, selling good quality products, publicly displaying prices, and selling at the listed prices."

Officials from relevant agencies inspect the business operations of an establishment in Tran Phu ward (Mong Cai city).

According to statistics, in the first six months of 2024, the total number of tourists visiting Mong Cai reached over 2 million, an increase of 91% compared to the same period in 2023. Revenue from tourism services is estimated at over 140 billion VND, making a significant contribution to the overall positive results of Quang Ninh's tourism industry.

In the coming period, the city will continue to focus on developing new and unique tourism products associated with the cultural values of the people in the border region; closely coordinate with the Department of Culture, Sports, Broadcasting and Tourism of Dongxing City (Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China) in the management and development of border tourism activities; actively cooperate in organizing cultural, sports and tourism exchange activities; continue to promote tourism digital transformation through communication; and proactively implement a pilot project to develop the night-time economy in the area.

Ms. Nguyen Thu Huong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Mong Cai City, affirmed: The city is strengthening state management to ensure a healthy tourism business environment through many specific solutions, especially maintaining a tourism hotline to promptly receive feedback, propose solutions to relevant units, and provide responses to residents and tourists; strengthening guidance, assessment, and licensing of tourism standards; publicly announcing the list of reputable tourism businesses; and businesses that violate regulations, resolutely preventing businesses that do not meet business conditions from affecting the brand and image of Mong Cai tourism in particular and Quang Ninh in general. In addition, functional agencies in the area are tightening inspections, promptly rectifying and strictly handling cases of violations related to security and order, prices, goods, tax collection, labor management, travel activities, accommodation, shopping, food and beverage, food safety and hygiene, environmental hygiene, urban order, begging, and harassment of tourists. Regularly inspect and review the infrastructure and quality of human resources at tourism service businesses.

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