Van Don Island District embracing Bai Tu Long Bay is a complex of islands and sea whose beauty, geological value, and biological diversity are similar to that of Ha Long Bay. Van Don’s natural beauty is impressive and its tourism environment is unspoiled. Although it’s situated next to Ha Long Bay, a world natural heritage, Van Don’s tourism is still relatively unknown. Ha Quang Long, Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, has compared Van Don’s tourism to a sleeping princess. In order to awaken this princess, Quang Ninh province has made an effort to develop the local roads leading to Van Don. Three bridges link Cam Pha Town to the island district. Dang Duy Hau is Vice President of the provincial People’s Committee ‘Van Don is a place suitable for organizing high-end tourism services, resorts, and adventure tourism. But to realize this, it will require some investment in infrastructure with first priority being a transportation system. Quang Ninh province has been working with relevant ministries and agencies to identify locations for building an airport, along with improvement of some roads’.

In August, 2009, the Prime Minister approved a project to develop Van Don Economic Zone until 2020 with a vision to 2030. Under the plan, Van Don will become a key economic hub of the province and the northern coastal region, a high-end maritime tourism center with resorts to lure tourists from East and Southeast Asia. Since early this year, Quang Ninh province and Van Don Island District have been pushing a transportation project to connect the extended Highway 14B, the zoning for Van Don International Airport, an entertainment complex in Van Yen commune, a luxury resort in Van Hai, and an ecological tourist area on Phuong Hoang Island. Le Quang Thach is Vice President of the Van Dong District People’s Committee ‘Investors will continue to enjoy preferential treatment in pursuance to the Prime Minister’s master plan and the economic zone’s planning and will be directed to make good investments. The district authorities will facilitate the best conditions for investors. We will also make investors feel secure in doing business here that will maximize benefits for themselves and the local people, too’. 

Ta Duc Quyet is Director of the Mai Quyen Company which owns resorts in Van Don ‘Van Don leaders should prioritize locating big investors in its investment promotion programs. Preferential treatment should be given to foreign and domestic investors alike, especially those who pour money into tourism development. The hospitability industry requires long-term investment’.

With 17 large-scale tourism projects in deployment, the district’s infrastructure has significantly improved. Last year, the district had 700 rooms, compared to just 100 seven years ago. The number of visitors to the area has increased by about 30,000 people each year.