Quang Ninh to welcome 5.2 million visitors next year

Quang Ninh province is planning to welcome 5.2 million tourists, including 2.4 million from overseas in 2010. The provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said at a meeting on December 15 that the sector is aiming for more than VND3,000 billion in revenue in 2010.
In addition to building up its maritime tourist services in Ha Long Bay, the sector aims to exploit the province’s ecological, archaeological and historical potential to put together more new attractive tourist packages.
Re-opening the Beihai (China) – Ha Long (Vietnam) ferry link has also opened up new prospects for tourism as Chinese travel agents consider it a gateway to Southeast Asia.
It was argued that tourism in Quang Ninh still faces many challenges such as a low business turnover, only basic tourist products, boring tours and a poor infrastructure.
In 2009, the province received 4.8 million tourists, including 2 million from abroad, down by 13 percent against last year, and only earning VND2,800 billion.