Hanoi (VNA) – TheMinistry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on September 22 announced the theme andactivities of the National Tourism Year 2018, which will be hosted by thenorth-eastern province of Quang Ninh.

Accordingly, a number of mainactivities will be held in Quang Ninh, including the opening and closingceremonies of the National Year, a cuisine festival, a paragliding competition,a photo contest, and a ceremony to announce and present certificate recognisingCua Ong temple as a special national relic site, among others.

Besides the ministry andQuang 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 Year2018 is expected to draw more foreign tourists to Vietnam and bolster growth ofdomestic tourism, fulfilling the target of Vietnam’s tourism sector in 2018 andupcoming years.

The event is also hoped toraise public awareness about tourism development in association with protectionof marine resources and promote cultural values and tourism products of QuangNinh province.

Under the Overall Plan for Tourism Development in Quang Ninh to 2020 andVision to 2030, Quang Ninh strives to become an international tourism centreand a leading tourism destination in Vietnam with modern infrastructure anddiverse, high quality and competitive tourism products.

By 2020, Quang Ninh aims to welcome 15-16 million tourists, includingseven million foreigners, and rake in 30-40 trillion VND (1.3-1.7 billion USD)in revenue. The tourism sector is expected to contribute 14-15 percent to thegross regional domestic product (GRDP).

In 2016, Quang Ninh welcomes 8.3 million tourist arrivals, ayear-on-year increase of seven percent, and earned over 13 trillion VND (571million USD) in revenue, up 23 percent, according to the Quang Ninh Departmentof Tourism.

Particularly, the world natural heritage site of Ha Long Bay welcomed6.3 million tourists and grossed 7.7 trillion VND (over 338 million USD) inrevenue, representing respective increases of 14 percent and 65 percent fromthe previous year. About 2.7 million of the visitors were foreigners, ayear-on-year growth of 16 percent.

Being favoured by nature with a range of stunning landscapes, clearturquoise sea and spectacular limestone pillars together with numerous tourisminvestment projects, Quang Ninh boasts huge potential to develop sustainablegreen tourism.

Quang Ninh has a coastline of more than 250 kilometres and over 2,000islets which account for two-thirds of the total number in Vietnam. Thespectacular stretch of coast connects the UNESCO-recognised World Heritage Siteof Ha Long Bay with majestic natural scenery, Bai Tu Long Bay, Van Don and CoTo islands and Tra Co beach with Cat Ba National Park in the northern port cityof Hai Phong.

Ha Long Bay, Cat Ba island and Do Son beach (Hai Phong city) areprioritised to develop into national tourism sites.

Along with the renowned Ha Long Bay, Quan Lan, Minh Chau, Ngoc Vung, Daibeaches in Van Don island district and Tra Co and Vinh Thuc in Mong Cai cityhave grown in stature among domestic and international tourists thanks to theirbreathtaking sea and coral reef.-VNA