Ninh Binh tourism enhances promotions for development purpose

With the goal of attracting 4.8 million of visitors in 2014, from the beginning of the year, Ninh Binh tourism has many stratagies to attract both domestic and international tourists; especially, promotions in foreign market.

On opening the campaign of promoting tourist destinations in Ninh Binh, Ninh Binh participated in the second Vietnam International Tourism Mart in Vietnam Exhibition Fair Centre, with the theme “Tourism promotion – New destination, new opportunity and travelling for sustainable development”. The fair was organized by Vietnam Tourism Association in the coordination with the General Department of Tourism and the Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Hanoi.

Joining Vietnam International Tourism Mart (VITM) in Hanoi, the Ninh Binh Tourism Promotion Information Center collaborated with 10 units of management, businesses of tourism and services such as Trang An eco-tourism zone, Star business travel, Yen Nhi Hotel, Hoang Son Peace Hotel, and Emeralda Resort, and other units in Ninh Binh participating in this tourism fair. The fair with the scale of two standard booths is decorated with unique and typical images of eco-tourism, spiritual and cultural tourism, and Ninh Binh’s unique and attractive tourist products. This is a chance for Ninh Binh to promote and introduce Ninh Binh tourism under the theme: “Trang An scenic landscape complex in the orientation to the world heritage”. At the booth of Ninh Binh, Ninh Binh Tourism Promotion Information Center and travel businesses organized exhibits and issued more than 10,000 publications, tourist promotional materials such as photo books, travel map, and VCD which introduce Ninh Binh tourism, propaganda and promote tourist attractions, chains of restaurants and hotels through movies, video clips, and electronic photo albums. In four days of the fair, the booth of Ninh Binh appealed over 10,000 visitors, including nearly 1,000 visitors of travel companies.

Also, in the framework of the fair, the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism directed the Tourism Promotion Information Center to promote tourism in coordination with 10 tourism businesses in this fair to hold a seminar on promoting attractions in Ninh Binh in Bao Son- Hanoi International Hotel. The goal of this coordination is to introduce tourism businesses and travel companies in Hanoi resources, products  and orientation  of tourism development in Ninh Binh, facilitating travel businesses in Ninh Binh directly access to their partners to share, connect information products and services accurately. Simultaneously, exchange and discuss on the advantages and difficulties of cooperation, exploitation of tourism market attract both domestic and foreign tourists. The workshop appealed the participation of nearly 170 businesses and travel companies in Hanoi, and 25 press agencies and media.

Tam Coc Cave, Ninh Binh province, Vietnam - Source: Image from Flickr

In 2014, despite the gloomy economy of the country and the world with difficulties, but Ninh Binh tourism industry still has many opportunities to grow, including striking the Vesak 2014 will be held at Bai Dinh Pagoda in May. It is expected there are about 10,000 official delegates, including 3,500 international delegates from over 100 countries and territories. During the celebration, there will be many cultural activities took place like exhibition of Buddhist art photography, performances of arts, films, Buddhist culture fair. Currently, Ninh Binh is preparing necessary conditions await the consideration of UNESCO recognizing Trang An scenic landscape complex as a world heritage.

Tam Coc, Ninh Binh - Source: Image from Flickr

For promoting and promulgating Ninh Binh tourism, the industry of tourism will cooperate with Vietnam Television, VTC Digital Television, VTV Television Cab, and telecommunication agencies and mass media to introduce Ninh Binh. Advertisements of Ninh Binh tourism are promoted on website of the General Department of Tourism. The industry of Ninh Binh tourism also coordinated with the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism to develop the image of Ninh Binh in Thailand Travel Mart Plus 2014, and Korea World Travel Fair. In addition, the industry strengthened the management of civilized lifestyle, social security and environmental sanitation in the region to meet the need of tourists in famous destinations in the province.

Cyclists from London to Ninh Binh - Source: Image from Flickr

These above important events will contribute to promoting widely the potentials of tourism, unique culture and tourism products of Ninh Binh to the world. This is a good opportunity to attract tourists, especially foreign tourists to Ninh Binh, and appeal more domestic and international investors to promote joint activities and Ninh Binh tourism. 

Trang An proposed to be a world heritage

Trang An, honored as “Dry Halong Bay”, is becoming a favorite attraction appealing tourists from all over the world. Recently, Vietnam proposed UNESCO for recognizing Trang An ecological complex in Ninh Binh Province as a world heritage site.

Trang An is a complex of scenic landscapes and historical and cultural heritages. The complex has an area of over 10,000 hectare. It consists of Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, Tam Coc and Bich Dong natural site, and Trang An ecological site. Trang An ecological tourist attraction stretches on an area of 4,000 ha with spectacular limestone areas and rice fields. The site dates back some 250 million years and has hundreds of valleys and caves. Trang An Relics is one of the most spectacular Vietnam wonders. Dr. Tran Tan Van, Director of Vietnam Institute of Geosciences and Mineral Resources analyzed that it is limestone blocks that makes Trang An unique, and ​​clarifies the tropical karst landscapes in the region. These relics were formed because of interaction of major geological structures on earth.

A corner of Trang An - Source: Image from Flickr

At a conference on report and discussion of the construction heritage profile progress in May 2012, experts of Institute of Archaeology, Institute of Geosciences and Mineral Resources, Institute of Development and Traditional Study agreed to create a records of Trang An to propose UNESCO for recognition. There is a mixture of criteria including seven criteria of aesthetics and landscaping value, eight criteria of geological geomorphological value, and five criteria of cultural value. In addition, there are more three criteria of culture containing the exclusive value or, at least, a specific evidence about lost cultural traditions of humanity.

Dia Linh Cave in Trang An - Source: Image from Wikimedia Commons

Mr. Nguyen Duc Long, the director of the board of management of Trang An scenic relics said that Vietnam will have three heritages recognized by UNESCO: Cat Ba (Haiphong); Trang Anh (Ninh Binh), and Vi - Giam singing, a Vietnamese traditional folk music. In particular, Trang An scenic landscape complex is the first Vietnam’s cultural and natural heritage applying for UNESCO’s recognition. Through reviewing the documents and fact-finding, UNESCO assesses records of Trang An with good quality. As planned, in June 2014, UNESCO will hold a poll of honoring Trang An as a World Heritage. To complete the management plan of Trang An scenic landscape complex at the request of UNESCO, the board of management of this complex collaborates with the Institute of Communication and Development Survey to synthesize information in 20 local communes. Also, documents and texts are prepared; archaeological monuments’ surveys are conducted by the local board of management and German and Japanese experts; surveys and scientific researches on caves in the scenic area of Trang An are implemented. At the same time, document collections of Trang An’s relics are digitized.

Boating in Trang An - Source: Image from Flickr

The board of management of Trang An issued documents to guide and monitor relevant units to test, order security, and ensure surrounding sanity in the relics, especially Ancient Hoa Lu Capital. With responsibility for developing country along with the development of Ninh Binh tourism, the board of management of Trang An Relics also coordinates with experts to study, explain and argue about scientist records to support to the recognition of Trang An Relics. At the same time, many activities of promotion and promulgation about Trang An such as promotions on the internet, posters, banners, and cooperation with mass media agencies are strengthened. Besides, the international cooperation and promotions are paid more attention to enhance promulgation of Trang An scenic landscape complex. By virtue of these, a website with Vietnamese content on introducing the relics is open and operating well. The content is being extended in other languages as English. In addition, some Vietnamese-English-French magazines and books on archaeology and geology are being designed, edited and published to promote and propagandize Trang An to the entire world. Moreover, the content of Trang An ecological complex will be introduced in the book of World Tourism Organization (UNWTO); films on Trang An Relics will be shown on CNN, and tours to Trang An will be enhanced.

If being honored by UNESCO, Trang An scenic landscape complex in Ninh Binh will be the 8th heritage and the first cultural heritage of Vietnam recognized under the criteria mixed with outstanding natural, archaeological and cultural values.