Accordingly, a number of main activities will be held in Quang Ninh, including the opening and closing ceremonies of the National Year, a cuisine festival, a paragliding competition, a photo contest, and a ceremony to announce and present a certificate recognising Cua Ong temple as a special national relic site, among other festive activities .
Besides the ministry and Quang Ninh, 14 other provinces and cities will join hands to organise cultural, sports and tourism events in response to the National Tourism Year 2018.
The National Tourism Year 2018 is expected to draw more foreign tourists to Vietnam and bolster growth of domestic tourism, fulfilling the target of Vietnam’s tourism sector in 2018 and upcoming years.
The event also hopes to raise public awareness about tourism development in association with protection of marine resources and promote cultural values and tourism products of Quang Ninh province.
Under the Overall Plan for Tourism Development in Quang Ninh to 2020 and Vision to 2030, Quang Ninh strives to become an international tourism centre and a leading tourism destination in Vietnam with modern infrastructure and diverse, high quality and competitive tourism products.
By 2020, Quang Ninh aims to welcome 15-16 million tourists, including seven million foreigners, and rake in VND 30 trillion – VND 40 trillion (US$ 1.3 billion – US$1.7 billion) in revenue. The tourism sector is expected to contribute 14-15% to the gross regional domestic product (GRDP).
In 2016, Quang Ninh welcomed 8.3 million tourist arrivals, a year-on-year increase of seven percent, and earned over VND 13 trillion (US$ 571 million) in revenue, up 23%, according to the Quang Ninh Department of Tourism.
