Ha Long – the capital of Quang Ninh – is defined as one of the four provincial tourism centers. With a number of advantages, Ha Long City is determined to develop tourism sustainably under the concept of preserving and promoting the world wonder, and connecting Ha Long’s tourism with tourism markets in other localities nationwide, regionwide and globalwide.
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| Environmental protection on Ha Long Bay has been paid special concern |
Specifically, Ha Long has moved coal selection plants out of the city. Operation permit is not granted to any factory which is prone to leave a negative impact on Ha Long Bay’s environment. The city also stops the loading and unloading as well as transporting cement, woodchips, and limestones on the bay. Multi-compartment trash cans are arranged at urban areas and tourist sites. Spongy is replaced with sustainable materials for floating construction works on the bay. The city also maintains monitoring and supervising the quality of the Bay’s environment.
Ha Long City issued a decision No. 726/QĐ- UBND dated April 16th, 2015 on the regulations of time and places for dumping trash at municipal residential areas, thus ensuring the environmental hygiene around the clock at main roads and tourist attractions.
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| Dual trash bin at a tourist site on Ha Long Bay |
All industrial parks in Ha Long City have waste water treatment system. Coal industry have completed and put 45 mining water treatment stations into use. The municipality is hastening the construction progress of domestic waste water treatment systems at coastal localities. The project of improving environment in Ha Long City is being implemented with total capital of 154 million USD via ODA. It is expected that 100% of domestic waste water in the city will meet required standards in 2021, before being released into the environment
Ha Long’s authority also asked organizations and individuals doing tourism business on Ha Long Bay to stop using single-use plastic products from Sept 1st, 2019. They have also encouraged local people to conduct waste classification and limit the use of nilon bags and plastic products.
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| Nilon bags are replaced with paper bags |
To take the advantage of support from international organizations and experts in environmental protection, Ha Long City has made tireless efforts in playing its roles at the World Heritage Committee and Maritime Heritage Network as well as Club of the Most Beautiful Bays of the World. Vice-verse, Ha Long has received experience sharing, capital and technical investment to serve Ha Long Bay management, preservation, and promotion, thus gradually bringing the bay closer to heritage protection on global scale.
Thanks to synchronous measures and better environmental management in tourism activities, Ha Long City received more than 7.1 million tourist arrivals, including 2.68 million foreign arrivals, and earn a revenue of over 14,1 trillion VND, a year on year increase of 21%, 16% and 33% respectively in the 8 months of 2019.
Translated by Quynh Trang