Hai Phong orients the development of Cat Ba tourism in the direction of ensuring harmony with the natural landscape, exploiting natural landscapes of space, water, hills and mountains on the principle of minimizing interference with the terrain. naturally, aiming to build Cat Ba into a smart, ecological tourist island
Outstanding advantages
Cat Ba Archipelago (Cat Hai district, Hai Phong city) is the only place in Vietnam that converges many international and national titles such as: World biosphere reserve; World Natural Heritage (along with Ha Long Bay); Cat Ba National Park. This place fully converges the typical ecosystems of Vietnam such as primeval forests, mangrove forests, coral reefs, seagrass beds and a system of caves that are the habitat of thousands of species of animals and plants. There are rare species listed in the Vietnam Red Book, especially the Cat Ba Langur, the world’s most endangered primate, which only exists in Vietnam. Besides, the southeast of Cat Ba island has Lan Ha Bay, with many small sandy beaches, clear and blue water, and small waves.
At the Preliminary Conference of 5 years of implementing Resolution No. 45-NQ/TW dated January 24, 2019 of the XII Politburo on building and developing Hai Phong city to 2030, with a vision to 2045 at the beginning Recently in August, Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Director of the Institute of Tourism Development Research, said that, possessing outstanding advantages in natural conditions, Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba Archipelago has been recognized by the National Education Organization. , United Nations Science and Culture (UNESCO) recognized as a World Heritage Site in September 2023. This is Vietnam’s 8th World Heritage Site and also Vietnam’s first inter-provincial World Heritage Site. Being recognized by UNESCO opens up many opportunities for Hai Phong – Quang Ninh tourism development, especially in building an international tourism brand and increasing its attractiveness on the world tourism map.
According to UNESCO’s assessment, Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba archipelago is considered a geological museum, containing heritage with outstanding global value, a place to witness typical changes in the earth’s historical development. land. Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba archipelago is a model of mature karst in humid tropical conditions.
Regarding biodiversity value, with the interference of mountains, forests and islands, Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba archipelago is considered a typical area with a high level of diversity in Asia, possessing 7 Adjacent and successive developments of marine – island, tropical and subtropical ecosystems include: Primary tropical rain forest ecosystem; cave ecosystem; mangrove ecosystem; intertidal ecosystem; coral reef ecosystem; soft bottom ecosystem; saltwater lake ecosystem.
According to Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, with special strengths, Cat Ba associated with Ha Long Bay has the strength to exploit and develop many types of tourism, especially eco-tourism and beach resort tourism. Recently, after Da Nang, Phu Quoc and Ha Long, Cat Ba island is becoming the focus of the country’s resort investment market. With outstanding advantages in natural conditions, Cat Ba has attracted a number of large investors in the resort field such as Sun Group, Flamingo Group…
Currently, the number of visitors to Cat Ba is increasing every year, contributing to promoting local economic development. In 2022, Cat Ba tourism welcomes and serves about 2.3 million visitors; By 2023, we will welcome and serve more than 3 million visitors. In 2024, Cat Ba aims to welcome 3.6 million tourists.
The island has zero carbon emissions
From a practical perspective, Cat Ba tourism is still seasonal, lacks high-end tourism products, facilities and service conditions do not meet the needs of tourists with high paying ability. Amusement and entertainment areas to serve and attract guests. Many new, modern projects have been invested in and built, but in reality they still do not meet demand. Infrastructure is still lacking, lacking worthy projects, especially high-end accommodation facilities, making Cat Ba archipelago tourism unable to develop to its full potential.
Vice Chairman of Hai Phong City People’s Committee Le Khac Nam said that the city has been focusing on attracting high-quality tourism investment in Cat Ba since Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba archipelago was recognized by UNESCO as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. World natural heritage.
To promote investment attraction in developing infrastructure and facilities for tourism, the focus is on high-end resorts, entertainment, hotels, and restaurants that meet national and international standards. Internationally, many resort real estate projects in Cat Ba have been implemented to change the face of tourism in the island district. One of the projects being implemented is the Cat Ba Central Bay tourist and commercial service area project, Cat Hai district with an area of nearly 50 hectares and the total investment in infrastructure alone is over 2,100 billion. copper.
On August 16, Phu Quoc Civil Construction Company Limited started construction on the Cat Ba Central Bay tourist and commercial service area project in Cat Ba town, Cat Hai district. The project spends more than 60% of the area developing public amenities. This is considered one of Vietnam’s pioneering tourism projects towards zero carbon emissions and devoting a lot of area to the community.
After the first cable car line Cat Hai – Phu Long was completed, Sun Group continued to build a new cable car line Phu Long – Cat Ba, creating a cable car system connecting directly from Cat Hai island to the town center. Cat Ba. People and tourists will easily move from Hai Phong city straight to the center of Cat Ba island by cable car quickly, conveniently and minimize emissions into the environment…
Along with infrastructure investment, the city Strengthen cooperation and closer association with Quang Ninh province through practical actions in management, exploitation, product development, promotion and joining hands to protect resources and the environment common heritage destination to work together to overcome shortcomings, difficulties and cure inherent diseases that have negatively affected tourism development in recent times between the two localities.
According to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Chu Hoi, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Fisheries Association, the inherent potentials and properties of the marine space of the Cat Ba – Long Chau archipelago are a very important premise for development. develop green economic sectors based on conservation and adaptation to climate change and rising sea levels. At the same time, the city needs to create more “brands” for the marine space and Cat Ba – Long Chau islands by continuing to request the Government to submit to UNESCO for functional zoning to effectively manage natural heritage. the world of Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba Islands after being newly recognized; Establishing a new “Global Geopark” within the limestone island complex with Cat Ba as the center. At the same time, Hai Phong needs to effectively manage and use conservation values that have been honored internationally and nationally such as: Cat Ba National Park, Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve, Cat Ba Marine Protected Area; build the Cat Ba Museum, including nature, culture, and history; build a (natural) marine aquarium; Build a memorial area where Uncle Ho visited fishermen in Tuan Chau, Cat Ba in 1959, associated with the message “Our silver sea is owned by our people!”.
