Ninh Binh is once again selected to host the National Tourism Year 2021 after the delay in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, bringing opportunities to the province’s tourism to recover and promote its history, culture and destinations.

Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex. Photo: Minnh Anh Travel

With the theme “Hoa Lu - A thousand-year-old capital”, The National Tourism Year 2021 in NinhBinh Province will focus on the history of the ancient capital of Hoa Lu and the UNESCO heritage site of Trang An.

Accordingly, the highlight of the National Tourism Year 2021 will be nearly 40 activities which will take place in the province such as the Tourism Week “The Golden Color of Tam Coc - Trang An”; Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival; “Vietnam International Photography Festival 2021”; the exhibition “Vietnam’s Cultural Heritage, Landscapes and Traditional Handicrafts”; “Industry, Trade and Tourism Fair of NinhBinh”; among others.

In response to the National Tourism Year, twenty seven cities and provinces nationwide will organize around a hundred activities including Hanoi Tourism - Culture Festival; Vietnam-China International Trade - Tourism Fair in 2021; Mau Son Tourism festival in 2021; Thanh Hoa Beach Tourism Festival; The seventh Quang Nam Heritage Festival in 2021: “Quang Nam - a journey of connecting heritage”; and so on.

Cuc Phuong National Park. Photo: Phuotvivu.com

As a province having very varied landscape from mountainous, plain, river to coastal areas NinhBinh is home to diverse and unique natural resources to develop tourism such as Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, Bai Dinh Mountain, Cuc Phuong National Park, Van Long wetland natural reserve, Kenh Ga mineral hot springs, or Kim Son coastal area. Moreover, Ninh Binh also has nearly two thousand historical and cultural relics, including those in the list of national treasures.

In particular, the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex has been recognized by UNESCO as the World Natural and Cultural Heritage, the first mixed heritage in Southeast Asia. The invaluable cultural heritage treasure has made Ninh Binh one of the country’s most appealing destinations. The province aims to become a leading tourist hub of Vietnam by 2030 as being defined by the Resolution of the 22nd Provincial Party Congress.

The National Tourism Year 2021 will be a golden opportunity for Ninh Binh to prensent potentials and strengths of the province’s tourismto a large number of domestic and international friends through media, fairs, conferences and seminars.

Mua Cave. Photo: Van Phuc

At the same time, it will strengthen the cooperation for tourism development between Ninh Binh and localities across the country, attract more investment in the sector, improve the quality of tourism products and services, and build more attractive products.

In addition to the preparation for the National Tourism Year 2021, Ninh Binh’s tourism industry continues to devise preferential policies to attract investment in the tourism sector, promote dissemination to raise awareness of authorities of all levels, sectors, communities, businesses and people about the important role of tourism to the province's socio-economic development; to build a civilized and sustainable tourism environment and a safe, friendly and attractive Ninh Binh tourist destination.

Ninh Binh also focuses on developing marketing activities of tourism events, festivals, and promotion programs of the province, applying science and technology and especially using digital solutions to improve management capacity, build products and promote tourism activities.

Hoa Lu ancient town. Photo: Du lich Ninh Binh

The organization of a series of big events is expected to attract a large number of tourists to Ninh Binh in 2021 and create a spiral effect in the following years, according to Pham DuyPhong, Deputy Director of NinhBinh Tourism Department.

Thereby, it actively contributes to enhancing the position and image of the country and people of Vietnam in general and Ninh Binh's tourism in particular, gradually recovering and creating a breakthrough for the tourism industry after the Covid-19 pandemic.

With the support of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, Provincial People's Committee, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the travel enterprises, NinhBinh’s tourism has developed strongly in recent years.

In the period of 2015-2019, the average growth rate of the sector was nearly 6.3% per year. In particular, arrivals of international visitor  grew nearly 12% per year. The tourism revenue also increased over 27% per year.