An aerial view of Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh province (Photo: VNA)Quang Ninh (VNA) – The northern coastal provinceof Quang Ninh is among leading localities in switching to green growth, withthe goal of becoming an international tourism hub and a place worth of livingby 2020.
Quang Ninh is the gateway for trade between Vietnam and theAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China. Its advantages suchas sea ports, border gates, tourism and coal mines which account for 90 percentof the country’s coal reserves have helped the province maintain a higheconomic growth rate. Local per capita income is 1.7 times higher than thenational level, and the province is in the top five localities in terms ofbudget collection.
At the same time, those advantages themselves pose obstaclesto the switch to a green growth model, such as the contradiction between miningand tourism development.
In addition, the province faces challenges fromindustrialisation and urbanisation, along with negative impacts of climate change.
Keeping its goal in sight, Quang Ninh has been carried outsimultaneously three strategic priorities in order to create the foundation forgreen growth, which are infrastructure development, administrative reform andhuman resources improvement.
To create a breakthrough in infrastructure, the province hasdesigned mechanisms and policies to mobilise resources from all sectors,especially non-State sector, for the construction of key infrastructure workssuch as essential roads, public facilities, and infrastructure in industrialparks and economic zones.
The province has taken drastic actions to build agrowth-facilitating and service-oriented administration of integrity at alllevels, complete institutions and reform administrative procedures from theprovincial to communal levels.
For developing local human resources, Quang Ninh spent 11.2billion VND in 2017 on training for local public officials and workers, andbuilt a project on attracting and training manpower for industrial parks andeconomic zones in the locality during 2018-2020.
At the core of Quang Ninh’s shift to green growth is the no-smokeindustry. The province is resolved to optimise its natural advantages for thesustainable development of tourism.
Since 2015, Quang Ninh has implemented a green growthproject targeting Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO-recognised World Heritage site and amajor tourism destination in the province, with the sponsorship of the JapanInternational Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Phase one of the project was carried out from October 2015to September 2016, focusing on building a detailed plan and defining prioritiesof work.
The second phase began in November 2016 and will last threeyears, aiming to enhance provincial funding and financial mechanism forenvironmental management and green growth; promote incentive for energy savingand management; promote sustainable tourism, and raise water environmentmanagement capacity by controlling direct waste discharge into the bay.
The project’s management board, in coordination with JICAexperts and working groups, has held more than 50 meetings, working sessionswith local agencies, sectors and authorities, and 20 surveys in targetlocalities.
In early September this year, the project organised acommunication workshop in Ha Long city aiming to raise awareness about the HaLong Bay Area Green Growth White Book 2017. The book was compiled by JICAexperts and the Quang Ninh provincial People’s Committee to deliver messages,experience, initiatives and actions towards green growth to not only managerialofficials but also tourists and local businesses and residents.
Besides Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh, with a 250km long coastline, is home to numerous sea tourism sites, including Bai Tu Long Bay andNational Park, the islands of Co To, Tra Co and Van Don, to name just a few.
The province also boasts more than 600 cultural sites andhistorical relics, making it a popular destination for cultural and spiritualtourism. Some of the most well-known attractions are the Yen Tu landscape andhistorical site, the Bach Dang historical site and the Tran Dynasty culturaland historical site.
Last year, Quang Ninh received 9.87 milliontourists, including 4.28 million foreigners, up 18 percent and 23 percentrespectively. The tourism sector pocketed over 17.88 trillion VND (786.9million USD), up 30 percent compared to the previous year.
Itwelcomed 9.2 million tourists during the first eight months of this year, up 25percent year-on-year. The number of international holidaymakers to the localityexceeded 3.2 million, a rise of 18 percent against the same period last year,and fulfilling 65 percent of the yearly target.
This year, the province aims to attract over 12 million visitors thisyear, including 5 million foreigners.
By 2020, Quang Ninh aims to welcome 15-16million tourists, including 7 million foreigners, and rake in 30 trillion VND -40 trillion VND (1.3 billion USD - 1.7 billion USD) in revenue.-VNA
