Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex - 10-year journey to world heritage recognition

A decade since being recognized as a world heritage site, Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex has become an important resource, pillar and driving force in building Ninh Binh culture and people, meeting the requirements of opening up, international integration, and bringing Ninh Binh to sustainable development. Up to now, Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex has had a new mission to become the "heart" of the "Millennium Heritage City", a creative city in the future.

Trang An is one of the most exemplary and typical models in the world of successfully combining economic development and sustainable tourism while still respecting nature, ensuring harmony of interests between people, the State and businesses - Photo: VGP/Diep Anh

On April 26, the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, and People's Committee of Ninh Binh province will coordinate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism , the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO, and the UNESCO Office in Hanoi to organize a ceremony to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex being recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage. This is an opportunity to honor, promote and spread the outstanding global values of the heritage associated with sustainable tourism development, inspiring and inspiring the young generation to understand, to know, to appreciate and be proud of the land of the ancient capital Hoa Lu, the position, role and importance of Trang An Scenic Landscape in realizing the province's strategic orientation of building Ninh Binh into a centrally-governed city, with the characteristics of a millennium heritage urban area, a center of tourism, cultural industry, heritage economy of the region, the country and of international stature.

The outstanding universal values of heritage are respected and preserved.

After a decade of becoming a World Cultural and Natural Heritage, Trang An has been evaluated by UNESCO as a model in the management, conservation and promotion of the outstanding global values of the heritage, becoming a symbol and an endogenous resource for socio-economic development, inspiring enthusiasm, nurturing love for the homeland and country, national pride, and aspirations of generations of people in Ninh Binh province. After Trang An was honored, Ninh Binh province determined that the management, conservation, exploitation and promotion of the value of this heritage is the responsibility of the Party Committee, government and people in the province. Ninh Binh has thoroughly grasped and seriously and effectively implemented the provisions of the Law on Cultural Heritage, Decree No. 109/2017/ND-CP dated September 21, 2017 of the Government on regulations on the management of world cultural and natural heritages in Vietnam, Decision No. 230/QD-TTg dated February 4, 2016 of the Prime Minister on the approval of the Master Plan for the construction of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex in Ninh Binh Province. The province has also issued resolutions, plans, and plans for heritage management associated with conservation and sustainable development, especially regulations and rules for heritage management, from the issuance of temporary regulations right after the establishment of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex (January 2015), to the issuance of regulations on heritage management and protection in 2018. The requirements and recommendations of the World Heritage Committee have been implemented seriously and responsibly. The outstanding global values of the heritage are respected and preserved. The awareness of local authorities and communities about the role and importance of the heritage has been significantly raised. Scientific research has been promoted. The work of promoting, advertising and interpreting the values of the heritage associated with tourism development has been regularly innovated. These are specific solutions and actions, a strong commitment of Ninh Binh to ensure the integrity, authenticity and outstanding global values of the heritage.

A world-class model for successfully combining economic development and sustainable tourism

At the 50th anniversary celebration of the Convention on the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage in Vietnam, held in Ninh Binh in 2022, Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director General of UNESCO, commented: "Trang An is one of the most exemplary and typical models in the world for the successful combination of economic development and sustainable tourism while still being able to respect nature, ensuring the harmony of interests between people, the State and businesses". The traditional livelihoods of the people are maintained, as well as new livelihoods from tourism services and heritage conservation activities. According to estimates, the number of direct workers in the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex is more than 10,000 people, indirect workers are more than 20,000 people. The income of the local community has increased significantly over the years. The heritage site has truly played a core role in promoting tourism development in Ninh Binh. Since the time of filing the dossier for the heritage title nomination in 2012, Ninh Binh has only had over 1 million visitors. By 2019, after 5 years of being recognized by UNESCO, the province has welcomed more than 7.65 million visitors. The number of visitors in the period 2010-2019 increased by an average of more than 12%/year. Tourism revenue achieved a growth rate of 24.17%/year, of which in 2019 it reached 3,671 billion VND, 6.7 times higher than in 2010. In the years 2020-2022, despite being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Ninh Binh continued to be evaluated by many prestigious travel sites (such as TripAdvisor, Telegraph, Business Insider...) as a safe and attractive destination. In 2022, Ninh Binh tourism has had a strong recovery, the whole province welcomed 3.7 million visitors, 3.6 times higher than the same period last year; Revenue increased 5 times compared to the same period in 2021. In 2023, Ninh Binh welcomed 6.6 million visitors (of which Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex accounted for about 70% of total visitors), with revenue of nearly 6,500 billion VND. For many consecutive years, Ninh Binh has maintained its position in the top 15 destinations, the 10 provinces attracting the highest number of visitors in the country. These results have significantly contributed to gradually turning tourism into a spearhead economic sector with a guiding nature. After 32 years of re-establishing the province, with a strong will and aspiration for development, Ninh Binh has achieved many great achievements: Since 2022, it has become a province that balances its budget and has a regulation on the central budget, rising to become a locality with the 12th highest per capita income in the country; becoming one of the 3 modern automobile mechanical industry centers of the country; a national and international tourist center; Developing ecological, multi-value agriculture , associated with new rural construction, has achieved outstanding results. The province's economic growth is always associated with cultural and social development, protecting the ecological environment, attaching importance to promoting natural resources and cultural resources in the process of renewing the growth model, restructuring economic sectors, and sustainable development. Maintaining important areas for national defense and security. International integration and cooperation are increasingly extensive. Being a safe destination, creating trust for tourists and investors.

2024 is the 10th year that Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage - Photo: VGP/Diep Anh

'Heart' of 'Millennium Heritage City'

After a decade of being recognized as a world heritage site, Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex has become an important resource, pillar and driving force in building Ninh Binh's culture and people to meet the requirements of opening up and international integration, bringing Ninh Binh to sustainable development. Up to now, Trang An Scenic Landscape has a new mission: Becoming the "heart" of the "Millennium Heritage City", a creative city in the future. Given the importance of sustainable development in the period of integration, globalization and the challenges of climate change, along with other social issues, Ninh Binh always determines the perspective of sustainable development based on the potential, strengths, outstanding and unique values of the province, especially the system of cultural and natural heritages, UNESCO titles. In the coming time, the province will focus on thoroughly grasping and promptly and effectively implementing the viewpoints, goals and development orientations according to the Ninh Binh Provincial Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050 approved by the Prime Minister. Continue to firmly develop the socio-economy in the direction of "Green, sustainable and harmonious". Economic development goes hand in hand with equity and social progress on the basis of maximizing the outstanding potential, unique values and unique advantages of the locality. The core is to preserve and promote the cultural-historical values, fine traditions of the people, the land of the ancient capital and the outstanding global values of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex as the foundation and resources for development, to become a national and international cultural-historical and tourism center. Develop urban and rural areas in a civilized and modern direction. Determined to strive to build Ninh Binh province by 2035 to become a centrally-governed city with the characteristics of a millennium heritage city, a creative city... Continue to seriously and effectively implement the directions and conclusions of the General Secretary at the National Cultural Conference. Attach importance to cultural and social development on par with economic development; preserve, conserve and promote historical-cultural and natural values. Promote the development of cultural industry and innovation, becoming a large center with high brand value in tourism, cultural industry, heritage economy of the whole country and the Asia- Pacific region, an innovative startup center of the southern provinces of the Red River Delta. In particular, focus on planning, restoring, embellishing and promoting the cultural-historical values of Hoa Lu Ancient Capital; building major cultural institutions, building and organizing the implementation of important related projects; Issue separate policies for the preservation and restoration of cultural, historical and relic values. Improve the effectiveness and efficiency of State management of heritage to harmoniously resolve the conflict between heritage conservation and promoting values for development in the province. On the basis of continuing to perfect and implement the public-private partnership model in the management and promotion of heritage values; promote socialization in promoting heritage values, implemented on the basis of 4 subjects: People-State-scientists-enterprises. Identify people as the center, the subject, the goal of sustainable development; enhance the responsibility of the whole community, create conditions for people to participate in heritage protection, conservation of historical-cultural relics, intangible cultural heritages, develop biodiversity, create jobs and good income for the community living in the heritage area. Continue to promote the construction of synchronous and modern infrastructure, especially digital infrastructure, regional and inter-regional transport infrastructure, internal connections between tourist areas and destinations and with urban, industrial and service centers of the province. Proactively and actively integrate and cooperate internationally, towards building a millennium heritage city; promote cooperation with international cultural organizations and UNESCO in promoting the global value of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex. Strongly promote the values and images of Ninh Binh culture, people and nature to domestic and international friends and overseas Vietnamese. Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/quan-the-danh-thang-trang-an-hanh-trinh-10-nam-ghi-danh-di-san-the-gioi-102240424145000546.htm