Hai Phong aims to become attractive tourism destination
Hai Phong is stepping up measures to develop high-quality, sustainable and culturally distinctive tourism products, leveraging the natural heritage of Cat Ba and the coastal attractions of Do Son to strengthen its position as a leading destination in northern Vietnam.
These measures are also part of Hai Phong’s efforts to implement the Politburo’s Resolution No. 26-NQ/TW, dated August 22, 2026, on developing tourism into a key economic sector in the new era.
Green development rooted in cultural identity
One of the key objectives set out in Resolution No. 26-NQ/TW is to develop high-quality, smart, green and creative tourism that reflects cultural identity and generates high added value. Hai Phong is focusing on implementing this direction to unlock the potential of its marine and island resources, natural heritage and cultural assets.
Vu Huu Vung, vice chairman of the Cat Hai special zone People’s Committee, said Cat Hai comprises 388 islands of various sizes, with Cat Ba being the largest. Cat Ba Archipelago boasts outstanding ecological, scenic, geological and geomorphological values of international significance.
With its pristine landscapes, biodiversity and globally significant natural assets, Cat Ba has received several major recognitions from international organisations and the Vietnamese Government since 2004. These include UNESCO recognition as a World Biosphere Reserve in 2004; designation as a special national relic site in 2013; and Lan Ha Bay’s admission as the 46th member of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World (MBBW) association in June 2020.
Most notably, on September 16, 2023, Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago was officially inscribed on UNESCO’s World Natural Heritage List.
As part of its development strategy, the locality is focusing on building a green tourism environment and promoting green growth, while actively applying information technology, digital transformation and artificial intelligence to tourism development.
Viet Hai community-based tourism site has been selected as a pilot area for these initiatives.
According to Vung, Viet Hai is an ancient village nestled amid the sea. It benefits from a favorable geographical location, scenic natural landscapes and a rich ecological environment, making it an attractive destination for nature lovers seeking unspoiled beauty.
To further promote Viet Hai and Cat Ba, the locality is developing Vietnamese- and English-language content introducing the community-based tourism site and installing QR-code signs to help visitors access information easily.
It is also working with domestic and international media partners to produce videos and promotional films showcasing the natural beauty of the Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago World Natural Heritage Site. These productions will feature landscapes, Cai Beo fishing village, Lan Ha Bay, beaches and the harmonious relationship between local communities and nature, helping promote Cat Ba’s heritage, cultural values and tourism potential to domestic and international audiences.
Under Hai Phong’s tourism development orientation for the city in general and Cat Ba in particular through 2030, with a vision to 2045, the municipal People’s Committee has called for coordinated measures and a phased approach to transform Cat Ba into a “green island.”
The city aims to make Cat Ba an international tourism hub by 2030, establish it as a national model for carbon-neutral ecotourism by 2045, and build “Green Cat Ba” into an international brand. It has also called on investors to develop high-end resorts and hotels in line with green and environmentally friendly standards.
A destination for filmmaking
While Cat Ba stands out for its ecotourism and island-based resort offerings, Do Son is being positioned as a multi-functional coastal tourism urban area combining leisure, entertainment, sports, culture, festivals, spiritual tourism and high-quality services.
At a November 3 working session between the Institute of Vietnamese Studies and Development Science under Vietnam National University, Hanoi, and the Do Son ward People’s Committee, participants proposed linking tourism development in Do Son with filmmaking and content creation.
Korean film director Song Sang Min said Do Son had considerable advantages for developing film-related tourism and creative activities. These include its distinctive peninsula landscape, beaches, French colonial-era villas, the K15 Historical Relic Site, Hon Dau Island and the Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival. These provide rich material and attractive settings for films, television programmes and international media productions, he said.
To accelerate tourism development, Song expressed his hope that Do Son would continue to develop into a year-round filmmaking and creative content destination on the northern coast of Vietnam, while promoting cultural exchanges between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea.|
Do Son should also consider developing training programmes in culture and creative industries, with priority given to local young people. This could be achieved through cooperation between training institutions in Hai Phong and the RoK in areas such as tourism-related performing arts, digital content production, filming, editing and destination promotion, he said.
Such initiatives will enable local residents not only to provide tourism services but also to participate directly in the value chain of the creative tourism industry, he added.
Another proposed direction, he noted, is the development of nighttime tours exploring Do Son’s history, incorporating lighting projections, 3D imagery and artistic performances to offer visitors a more immersive way to discover the area's stories.
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