Quang Ninh (VNA) – Ha Long city inthe northeastern province of Quang Ninh is striving to develop sustainabletourism, especially promoting the world natural heritage site of Ha Long Bay.

The city has implemented a number of measures toimprove environmental protection such as removing factories causing pollutionand maintaining the monitoring of environmental quality in the bay andsurrounding areas.

It also strengthens the inspection ofenvironmental protection of organisations and individuals providing tourismservices in Ha Long Bay.

The city is speeding up the construction ofdaily sewage treatment facilities in coastal areas. It is also carrying out a154 million USD project using official development assistance (ODA) loans toimprove the environment.

The city asked organisations and individualsrunning tourism services in Ha Long Bay to not use disposable plastic productsfrom September 1, 2019.

Local authorities have encouraged people to sortwaste at source and limit the use of plastic bottles and nylon bags whiletouring the bay.

Service providers in the bay were asked to usepaper cups, straws and bags to serve their customers, according to the Ha LongBay Management Board.

So far, Ha Long has launched four communicationcampaigns on reducing plastic waste.

The city has maintained close relations withinternational organisations to obtain their financial and technical support toserve the preservation and promotion of heritage values of Ha Long Bay.

Thanks to these aforesaid measures, in the firstnine months of 2019, the number of tourists to Ha Long city increased 21percent to reach 7.9 million. 

The municipal tourism sector grossed over 15.7trillion VND (679 million USD) in revenue in January-September, a year-on-yearrise of 35 percent.

Ha Long Bay literally “descending dragon bay” isa must-see destination in Quang Ninh province. It was recognised as a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site in 1994 and 2000.

The bay spans 1,553 square kilometres andincludes 1,969 islands of various sizes. It features thousands of limestonekarsts and islets in various shapes and sizes. The limestone in the bay hasgone through 500 million years of formation in different conditions and environments.The geo-diversity of the environment has created biodiversity, including atropical evergreen biosystem, oceanic and sea biosystem.

Ha Long Bay is home to 14 endemic floralspecies and 60 endemic faunal species.

In April 2019, US-based newspaper BusinessInsider made a list of 35 most beautiful natural wonders around the world, inwhich Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay claimed a place.

According to the news website, the beauty of HaLong Bay makes it one of Vietnam’s top tourist sites. It also recommends thattourists see the UNESCO-recognised site’s awe-inspiring limestone towers byboat.

Previously, Ha Long Bay was ranked 14th inBusiness Insider’s list of the 100 most beautiful UNESCO World Heritages in2018.

So far this year, Ha Long Bay has gained a lotof global titled. In July, the bay was listed among the world’s most beautifulsunrise spots by the Microsoft Network (MSN).

“What’s more memorable when you see the sunrisein Ha Long Bay, natural wonders with turquoise waters, majestic limestone mountainsand lush tropical forests,” MSN wrote.

“What you need to do is take a boat tour on HaLong Bay and wake up at 5pm to catch mild, romanticsunshine unexpectedly,” it added.

In August, British travel magazine Rough Guidesincluded Ha Long Bay in its selection of the 100 most beautiful places tovisit next year. 

In the Rough Guides to the 100 Best Places onEarth, the magazine describes “the scattering of limestone pinnacles juttingout of the smooth waters of Ha Long Bay”, around four hours east of Hanoi, asan “incredible sight”. The bay was the only Vietnamese destination in the list.

In September, Ha Long Bay was named as one ofthe most popular attractions in Asia, according to the South China Morning Post(SCMP) based in Hong Kong.

Around 5.2 million foreigners visited Ha LongBay in 2018, up 22 percent from a year ago, accounting for 30 percent of the15.6 million foreign tourist arrivals to Vietnam./.