Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Long has decided that Bach Dang Bridge, linking Quang Ninh and Hai Phong city, will be inaugurated on September 2 this year to fully put into use the Ha Long – Hai Phong Expressway.
The 5.4km-long bridge, spanning over the Bach Dang River, will help shorten the distance from Hai Phong to Quang Ninh’s Ha Long city from 75 km to 25 km, and from Hanoi to Ha Long from 180 km to 130 km.
As a result, it will take travellers less time to reach Ha Long and Mong Cai cities and Van Don district – three popular destinations in the province.
Additionally, Van Don International Airport has successfully handled test flights and will begin serving commercial flights in late 2018, a move expected to attract more foreign holidaymakers to the province.
The airport is set to cater for nine air routes and be capable of serving some 7,000 passengers per day. It is hoped to have annual capacity of 2 – 2.5 million passengers by 2020 and 5 million by 2030.
Despite poor weather in July, Quang Ninh recorded 916,000 tourist arrivals and more than VND1.7 trillion ($73 million ) in tourism revenue.
More than 8.4 million vacationers, including more than 2.8 million foreigners, visited the province in the first seven months of this year, respectively up 26 percent and 17 percent year on year.
Total tourism revenue during the period surpassed 14 trillion VND (602 million USD), up 30 percent from a year earlier.
The sharp rise in the figures was attributable to diverse activities as part of the National Tourism Year 2018 hosted by Quang Ninh. The province is also taking action to improve the tourism business environment and its image in visitors’ eyes. It aims to welcome 12 million visitors in 2018.
Quang Ninh is home to a coastline of more than 250 kilometres and some 2,000 islets, two-thirds of the total in Vietnam. The spectacular stretch of coast connects the UNESCO-recognised World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay with majestic natural scenery, Bai Tu Long Bay, Van Don and Co To islands and Tra Co beach with Cat Ba National Park in Hai Phong city.
