Hanoi (VNA) – The Prime Minister has recently given the greenlight to a tourism development master plan for Dong Van Karst Plateau nationaltourism site in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang until 2025 with avision towards 2030.
Accordingly, the site is expected to welcome 800,000 visitors, including130,000 foreigners, by 2020; 950,000 visitors with 250,000 foreigners, by 2025;1.1 million visitors, including more than 380 foreigners, by 2030.
The master plan eyes tourism revenues of 1.3 trillion VND (57.3 million USD) by2020 and the amount is targeted to increase to 2.8 trillion VND (123.4 million USD)by 2025 and 5 trillion VND (220 million USD) by 2030.
Key tourism markets will be Red River Delta provinces, mid-land and mountainouslocalities, and some cities and provinces in the central and southern regionslike Da Nang, Can Tho and Ho Chi Minh City. Regarding international visitors,Ha Giang province should pay heed to developing markets with high spending,including Western Europe, North America, Japan, the Republic of Korea andASEAN.
Geological tourism, community-based tourism, and nature tourism are seen asmajor tourism products, along with adventure travel and discovery tourism.
Five tourism zones will be set up under the plan: a cultural park in Xeo SaLung village, Pai Lung commune, Meo Vac district; Ma Pi Leng adventure travelzone at Tu San abyss; Thai An reservoir tourism site in Thai An commune, QuanBa district; Quan Ba resort and healthcare site in Quyet Tien communes, Quan Badistrict; and Nam Dam resort site in Quan Ba commune, Quan Ba district.
High-end accommodations and entertainment zones will be prioritised fordevelopment as well.
DongVan plateau was recognised as a member of the Global Network of NationalGeoparks in 2010, becoming Vietnam’s first geological park and the second inSoutheast Asia.
Covering a total area of 2,356 km2, it is 80 percent limestone and contains thefossils of thousands of species of prehistoric creatures from 400-600 millionyears ago.
It is also home to over 250,000 people from 17 different ethnic groups, whoboast unique cultures that have been fostered over the centuries.
Recently, 14 archaeological sites were excavated in Dong Van, Meo Vac, and YenMinh districts, in Dong Van plateau, revealing hundreds of relics believed toappear in the prehistoric and protohistoric times.
TheUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)re-recognised the Dong Van Karst Plateau Geo-Park in the northernmostmountainous province of Ha Giang as a member of the Global Network of NationalGeoparks for the 2015-2018 period.-VNA
VNA