The environment plays an important role in the development of tourism and is deeply affected by this activity. If tourism develops massively without strict management, the environment, particularly marine environments with developing tourism activities, will be greatly affected. Thanks to favourable geographic conditions and attractive tourism resources, the tourism activities in Ha Long have been developing rapidly. Over the past 20 years, Ha Long tourism has had an impact on its natural values of landscapes due to many factors: industrial development, population growth, farming, and seafood harvesting.
Ha Long is an important tourist destination of the country, with 65 percent of guests being foreigners. At this tourist destination, tourists can enjoy visiting caves, sightseeing and swimming, hiking, canoeing, and admiring the natural and cultural landscapes. The number of tourists has increased rapidly, thus tourism-related activities have had a negative impact on the natural environment and ecosystems.
Quang Ninh and Hai Phong are the cities having linked marine ecosystems, thus playing an important role in managing the heritage, environment, and marine ecosystems of Ha Long – Cat Ba. The initiative of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on cooperation between Quang Ninh and Hai Phong in heritage management and marine environment protection, with funding coming from the US International Development Agency. This activity is expected to create opportunities for the state, businesses and communities to work together to implement long-term plans to protect the environment of Ha Long’s heritage and Cat Ba World Biosphere Reserve.
At the meeting on cooperation on marine environment protection and Ha Long – Cat Ba ecosystem, Mr Juke Brunner, representative of IUCN in Vietnam, showed his determination and committed actions for marine environment. He also shared his deep impression and feeling for Ha Long. “Although this is not the first time I’ve been to Ha Long, I am overwhelmed by the emotions seeing several small and big islands rising from the sea.” According to Mr Juke Brunner, Ha Long – Cat Ba shared one marine ecosystem; it is expected to have a solution on how to implement effectively the criteria of the cooperation agreement between the two localities which is aimed to balance the environment preservation, development and management in two localities owning the heritage. Mr Juke Brunner agreed that Ha Long is one of the famous places in the world as well as a great heritage which needs protecting and maintaining.
Also at this meeting, Mr Ken Atkinson, President of Grant Thorton, talked to us about the Vietnam’s tourism environment related to sustainable development of tourism. According to Mr Atkinson, international tourists to Vietnam have to spend more than they usually do in other countries in the region, while a number of visitors have shared that the tourism environment of Vietnam is not as attractive as that of some neighbouring countries including Thailand. So the question is how to make tourism environment more attractive, including environment, landscape and natural ecosystem factors. According to Ken Atkinson, the strict implementation of environmental regulations, environment protection and conservation of natural values of Ha Long – Cat Ba is one of the fascinating activities which creates attractiveness for tourism environment and enhances the value of heritage.