Ha Long Bay is always an attraction for international tourists to Viet Nam.— File Photo

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — Bitexco Group has proposed a plan to the Quang Ninh People's Committee to manage tourism activities in the Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay for 50 years.

The attraction of the bays According to Unesco.com, Ha Long Bay, in the Gulf of Tonkin, includes some 1,600 islands and islets, forming a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. Because of their precipitous nature, most of the islands are uninhabited and unaffected by a human presence. The site's outstanding scenic beauty is complemented by its great biological interest. Unesco officially recognised the bay as a natural heritage site of worldwide in 1994. According to tripadvisor.com, Bai Tu Long Bay is one of the three triangular peaks of Ha Long Bay area, charming tourists with its wild beauty with stone mountains, caves, long sandy beach, corals, forests, mangrove forests and lovely fishing village – and fewer tourists. — VNS

The proposal was discussed in a meeting between representatives of Bitexco and the provincial committee on July 22.

According to the group, the two bays have precious geological and tourism potential. However, these had not yet been effectively explored.

The group mentioned that disconnected traffic, poor accommodation and untreated environment were among the difficulties that slow down development in the bays.

With the aim to make the bays among the most attractive tourist destinations in East Asia with international standards, the group would like to be franchised in managing the bays for the next 50 years.

According to Bitexco group, the basic goals of the proposal were to create a strong tourism brand for the bays, manage them more professionally and ensure the sustainability of nature and the environment. They also wanted to attract the world's leading international brands to the bays, improve the quality of tourists and create more jobs for the local tourism sector.

The group also said the proposal would ensure revenue for the province and also bring attractive economic benefits to the investor.

In response, Quang Ninh People's Committee Chairman Nguyen Van Doc appreciated the group's investment desire, asking them to further study the project after receiving comments from the meeting.

The People's Committee Deputy Chairman Nguyen Van Thanh said it was only a very initial study of the project, and asked Bitexco to involve departments and agencies in the province for a more detailed project.

According to Bitexco representatives, the next meeting is expected in August. — VNS