(VOVworld) – Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay was recognized by UNESCO as a world natural heritage for its geological and morphological values 20 years ago. It was Vietnam’s second world heritage recognized by UNESCO after the imperial city of Hue in 1993. Hoang Trinh and Pham Phong report on Vietnam’s efforts to preserve and promote Ha Long Bay:

Preservation plans were immediately put in place after UNESCO’s recognition 20 years ago. They have helped to boost local tourism and economic growth. However, the preservation and promotion of the Bay has encountered a number of difficulties in recent years related to the pressure of socio-economic activities, human resource development, and the lack of a management strategy. Vice Chairwoman of the Quang Ninh Provincial People’s Committee Vu Thi Thu Thuy said: “We will continue to increase international cooperation in the coming years to make the most of community support to preserve the Ha Long Bay heritage. More money will be reserved for preservation efforts and communications in order to turn Ha Long Bay into one of the world’s top destinations.”

Quang Ninh province currently has 86 hotels with 13,000 rooms, 500 tour boats, 40 travel agencies, and hundreds of shops and restaurants. The growth of this infrastructure has made environmental issues of considerable concern. There have been physical and chemical impacts on the cultural and physical landscape and ecological system of the heritage site. A sustainable tourism management plan is urgently is needed. It is crucial to accurately forecast the number of tourists, research the environmental impacts of these tourists, coordinate visits, and increase the responsibility of relevant agencies and the local community.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been cooperating with Quang Ninh on many projects, particularly awareness raising, to preserve Ha Long Bay. JICA representative Koji Otsuka, a professor at Osaka University, said raising public awareness is the best way to preserve a natural heritage: “We faced similar difficulties in preserving Osaka Bay and concluded that educating the younger generations is crucial to protecting the environment. How to pass environmental awareness on to the next generation? That’s what we should think about in order to protect Ha Long Bay’s future.”

Many tourists who visit Ha Long Bay consider it a sleeping beauty. Tourist services there remain poor and unprofessional and there have been no tourist products typical of Ha Long Bay. This hampers Quang Ninh’s efforts to promote Ha Long tourism, according to Nguyen Van Tuan, Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism: “We will be the first affected if the environment in Ha Long Bay is not protected. Product development is another issue, which no one but the businesses should carry out. We should also increase promotional activities and management. Ha Long has all the necessary conditions to become a national tourism trademark.”