New alluring tourist products on offer

Responding to the ‘Vietnamese people travel Vietnam’ programme initiated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Trang An scenic landscape complex’s management board has launched a kayak sailing service to offer a new way to explore the serenity of the complex.

Since it was put into operation at the end of May, the tourist site’s website has received hundreds of pre-bookings by travel lovers, who will receive a short training introduction by the staff. A team of lifeguards is always on standby to provide support for the kayakers during their 3-km trip.

“It is my first time kayaking at Trang An,” said Duong Dinh Quyet, a tourist from Dong Anh district, Hanoi. Despite the summer heat, he found it really interesting to sail to the various tourist spots in the complex.

Another option for tourists to check during their stay in Ninh Binh is Cuc Phuong National Park, which spans across 25,000 hectares with diverse fauna and flora species. By spending a night in the forest, tourists will have a chance to explore the nightlife of animals and will completely relax amongst the old forest air, smelling the dampness of the soil, the throne of the grass and the smell of the wood and mist.

Thanks to its captivating natural landscapes, cultural and historical sites, places of worship as well as favourable road network and friendly people, Ninh Binh has huge advantages for tourism. It also features hundreds of resorts, hotels, homestays and accommodations ranging from affordable to luxury prices, making it an ideal place for travellers to spend weekends and holidays with their friends and families.

Nguyen Tuan Hoang from Hanoi said that his family’s recent weekend was well spent in a resort in Hoa Lu district, where they could not only enjoy the fresh air but also took part in interesting outdoor activities to learn more about the farmers’ lives.

Providing discounts without lowering service quality

Ninh Binh received 1.5 million visitors and earned around VND800 billion from tourism revenue in the first half of this year, a dramatic decrease of 72% and 66% over the same period of 2019. 92% of local travel businesses have witnessed a fall in their revenue and have had to downsize their operations due to COVID-19.

In an effort to perform the dual task of recovering the economy while fighting COVID-19, the provincial Tourism Department has been active in fostering a communication campaign on its official website and Facebook page while strengthening tourism cooperation with other localities including Nghe An, Thanh Hoa and Ha Tinh provinces and Hanoi city.

Ninh Binh’s places of interest have also been promoted on Vietnam Airlines’ flights and other media.

Director of the department, Bui Thanh Dong said that the province has set a target of welcoming 2 million holiday-makers in the second half of this year, increasing the total number in 2020 to 3.5 million.

The provincial hospitality sector has adopted practical solutions to reach the goal, including restructuring the tourism market; identifying key domestic markets in the “new normal”; and advertising Ninh Binh’s land and people at tourism festivals, conferences and trade fairs.

Local travel businesses and firms have committed to discounting their products without lowering service quality or using unfair methods of competition.

Quang Ninh province and its neighbouring Bac Giang have been preparing a dossier to seek the World Heritage status for the Yen Tu Buddhism Complex. It is expected to be completed in September this year and then submitted to UNESCO in 2016 for recognition in 2017.

The complex is a demonstration of an interaction between human beings and nature, reflecting the uninterrupted residence of people, especially Buddhism followers, since thousands of years ago.

Located on the 1,068m-high Yen Tu Mountain, the 20,000ha site is considered the capital of Vietnamese Buddhism, where in the 13 th century, King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308) founded the first Vietnamese School of Buddhism called “Thien Tong” or Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen.

Besides numerous temples, it also preserves many old religious and cultural documents such as precious prayer-books and monks’ writings.

With its significant historical, cultural and natural values, Yen Tu was recognised as a Special National Relic Site in September 2012. It was also selected as one of the 10 most popular spiritual destinations in Viet Nam by the Viet Nam Records Organisation.

Source: VNA