Cát Bà, a beautiful green island with tremendous tourism potential, has yet to fully realize its capacity to attract international visitors.
Cat Ba: Unlocking the Full Potential of an International Tourism Destination
Cat Ba, a beautiful green island, holds great potential to attract international tourists. However, its current tourism development still falls short of its full potential.
Tourism products, accommodation, and resort services in Cat Ba are increasingly modern, aiming toward high-end offerings.
Mr. Le Khac Nam – Vice Chairman of the Hai Phong City People's Committee – expressed: “Cat Ba tourism still lacks high-end tourism products; the infrastructure and service conditions do not yet meet the needs of high-spending travelers. Cat Ba also lacks iconic structures, especially luxury accommodation, which prevents its tourism sector from developing to its full potential.”
According to many tourism experts, in order to attract international tourists, Cat Ba needs to implement multiple measures such as developing high-quality tourism services, creating unique travel experiences, investing in tourism promotion, and preparing the necessary infrastructure.
Mr. Nguyễn Văn Lợi, a tour guide from Viet Tour Company, shared: Cát Bà can offer many unique experiences such as joining eco-tourism tours, exploring the Cát Bà National Park, enjoying local cuisine, and participating in outdoor activities like diving, fishing, and cruising. These forms of tourism not only attract international tourists but also help protect the environment and preserve local culture.
In particular, promoting Cát Bà tourism to international travelers can be done through international media channels, organizing tourism events, and collaborating with international travel agencies. Additionally, the use of digital technology is also crucial in tourism promotion.
Ms. Nguyễn Lan Hương, a representative of Hương Xanh Travel Company, said that to turn Cát Bà into an international tourism hub, the foremost priority is to ensure convenient transportation for tourists. Next, there must be many innovative, high-quality, and distinctive tourism products with high added value, including types such as beach and island resort tourism, sports tourism, community-based eco-tourism, and commercial tourism combined with local product promotion.
To attract international tourists, Cát Bà must prepare tourism infrastructure, train high-quality human resources, and create a safe and friendly environment for travelers.
According to Ms. Hương, attracting international tourists to Cát Bà not only helps boost the local economy but also contributes to environmental protection and the preservation of local culture. With the aforementioned measures, Cát Bà can become a leading destination for international tourists.
According to the Hai Phong Department of Tourism, Cát Bà tourism is currently being strongly developed to match its status as a trans-provincial UNESCO World Natural Heritage site (Ha Long Bay in Quảng Ninh Province – Cát Bà Archipelago in Hai Phong City), with modern investments in accommodations and advanced equipment systems to meet visitor needs. In addition, Hai Phong is also creating many impressive tourism products associated with the distinctive image of Cát Bà, attracting a large number of domestic and international tourists.
It is known that Hai Phong City is accelerating the progress of tourism infrastructure projects in Cát Hải District, with the expectation of giving the "pearl island" a new look. Among them, Hai Phong has launched the Central Bay Tourism, Service, and Commercial Zone project in Cát Bà. The Xuân Đám Golf Course project is undergoing planning adjustments. Projects involving wharves, ferry terminals, and tourism service structures in the Cái Bèo area, as well as tourism, urban, and service zones in hot spots of Xuân Đám Commune, are being researched and revised in terms of planning.