Quang Ninh (VNA) - According to statistics of the Department of Tourism, the ꦜtotal number of tourists to the province from May 1-24 reached over 170,000, of which 161,000 were domestic tourists, accounting for 94 percent.

Visitors to Ha Long Bay reached over 65,000, visitors to Yen Tu reached nearly 7,800, visitors to the Quang Ninh Museum, nearly 23,000, and visitors to Sun World, nearly 27,600. Some sea and island tourism routes in the province lured a large number of tourists, in particular Co To island district, while the occupancy rate of large hotels managed to reach 70 percent. It can be said that travel businesses have been hit hardest by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, as soon as the tourist sites are allowed to reopen in early May, Quang Ninh is prepared with timely and effective solutions to remove difficulties for businesses. As soon as the social distancing order was loosened on May 4, the province held a conference to share opinions on a number of measures to stimulate tourism. Nguyen Thi Truc, Director of Vietravel Quang Ninh, said that the province's strong and drastic stimulus policies will have a positive impact on the local tourism industry. The province also strengthened connections with localities to promote tourism by organising domestic routes through Van Don airport, and restore markets in Northeast Asia in order to attract the maximum number of tourists from countries and regions that have kept the pandemic under control. Le Trong Thanh, Deputy General Director of Tung Lam Development Joint Stock Company said the stimulus package is timely. Thanh hopes the province will become a popular destination on mass media. Businesses also ask for exemption, reduction or delay in payment of 1 percent of revenue from forest environmental resources fees, so they can recover their business after the epidemic. Pham Vu Long, Director of Quang Ninh Gate tourist area in Dong Trieu town, said the number of visitors to Quang Ninh Gate is still modest, although the business has carried out many solutions. The current stimulus program has reached travel agents, providing services in Ha Long only. Long also hoped the province will have big promotions for destinations. Discount is not enough, especially as trends are moving towards fun and meaningful travel. The stimulus has only focused on a few big points, which proves that, during the two weekends, Quang Ninh province welcomed more than 50,000 visitors, thereby contributing to the recovery of the industry.

In the early days of implementing the stimulus package, over 22,600 tourists visited Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh Museum in Ha Long city, Yen Tu Historical Relic and Landscape Area in Uong Bi city.

This has been a result of a string of stimulus packages for tourism such as fee exemption and reduction, special tickets and promotions with the motto ‘Ha Long - Quang Ninh, a safe, friendly, attractive, hospitable destination’. The province will also allow an extension of the existing free bus route from the airport to Ha Long Bay to Yen Tu relic site in Uong Bi city.

Quang Ninh is endowed with natural advantages for sea and island tourism. It has a coastline of more than 250 kilometres and more than 2,000 islands and islets which account for two-thirds of the total number in Vietnam.

It is home to popular destinations such as Ha Long Bay, Bai Tu Long, Ha Long Bay National Park and some islands.

In particular, Ha Long Bay literally “descending dragon bay,”🉐 was twice recognised as a World Natural Heritage site by UNESCO in👍 1994 and 2000./.