(TITC) - When it comes to Quang Ninh tourism, visitors will immediately remember one of the "greatest" natural wonders in the world, which is Ha Long Bay. Over the past 30 years, Ha Long Bay has been honored with numerous regional and international awards, becoming a favourite destination for many domestic and international tourists, becoming a brand for Quang Ninh tourism, and deserving to be recognized as a World Natural Heritage 3 times.
The beauty of Ha Long Bay in the video clip “Live fully in Vietnam” (Photo: TITC)
Ha Long Bay is made up of thousands of large and small limestone islands, overlapping each other in the turquoise water, creating a majestic and spectacular landscape as if arranged by nature over many centuries. The magical limestone cave system hidden deep under the stone pillars is covered by tropical vegetation, exuding a wild, mysterious look, along with the vestiges of the earth's development history, attracting tourists from around the world to come and admire and explore.
With its unique natural landscape values and high aesthetic value, Ha Long Bay was ranked as a National Scenic Monument (1962) and a Special National Monument (2009). In 2017, Ha Long Bay was awarded the title of Vietnam's Leading Tourist Area and was announced as one of Vietnam's top tourist destinations in 2018.
In 1994, Ha Long Bay was the first Heritage of Vietnam to be listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for its outstanding value in terms of landscape and aesthetics. Six years later (in 2000), Ha Long Bay was recognized by UNESCO for the second time for its geological and geomorphological value. On 16th September 2023, Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Archipelago (Hai Phong City) were recognized as World Natural Heritage, becoming the first inter-provincial and intercity World Heritage in Vietnam.
Surpassing 200 wonders from more than 200 countries and territories, Ha Long Bay has entered the top 7 new natural wonders of the world. On 27th April 2012, the New Open World organization awarded Ha Long Bay the title of New World Natural Wonder. This destination also received the title of "Asia’s Leading Tourist Attraction 2021" from the World Travel Awards (WTA) Asia region.
In addition, Ha Long Bay has been continuously voted by many international organizations, forums, and leading travel magazines as one of the world's top beautiful destinations, such as one of the top 25 landscapes on earth; one of the 50 most beautiful natural wonders in the world; one of the 4 ideal destinations to watch beautiful sunrises and sunsets; one of the 10 most beautiful destinations in Asia; one of the 51 most beautiful destinations in the world… Especially in 2024, Ha Long Bay was continuously named in prestigious rankings and travel magazines. Notably, in January 2024, Ha Long Bay ranked 3rd in the list of the world's best destinations in 2024 of TripAdvisor's annual "Travelers Choice Awards - Best of the Best Destinations"; in May 2024, Ha Long Bay was one of the 55 most beautiful destinations in the world voted by Travel + Leisure.
The majestic natural beauty of Ha Long Bay is the attractive factor for international filmmakers to choose as the setting for many famous movies as well as documentaries and reality TV shows, such as the movies: "Indochina"; "Kong: The Skull of Island" and "The Creator".
It can be said that, with its position as a World Natural Heritage site, Ha Long Bay has positioned its tourism brand, affirming itself as one of the famous tourist centers in Vietnam and the world, attracting a large number of visitors to explore every year. In order for the brand to be “everlasting”, it requires the joint efforts of all sectors and stakeholders in the work of protecting heritage, protecting the “green, clean, beautiful” environment, promoting and advertising the image of heritage more widely, building new tourism products associated with the cultural values of heritage, training high-quality human resources, attracting large and strategic investors, etc.
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