Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex in Ninh Binh province is the first mixed world heritage in Vietnam in both culture and nature criteria. After the titling, investment, preservation, service development and heritage connection were counted to become an attractive destination. Vietnam Business Forum has an interview with Mr Bui Van Manh, Deputy Director of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex Management Board, on this issue. Giang Tu reports.
The recognition as a mixed world heritage has placed heavy responsibility on authorities in charge of preserving, protecting and promoting heritage values. How do you think about this?
The honour of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex as a World Heritage is just the beginning. We have to do more to preserve and promote heritage values and keep the image of a “double world heritage” in Vietnam.
To do that, authorities at all levels and the people need to strictly follow UNESCO’s recommendations in the management and protection of global outstanding values and the integrity of heritages. At the same time, they must determine what to do immediately like repairing and renewing notice boards; gradually develop and perfect heritage-based tourism development model. Besides, they should continue to boost information on mass media to help people understand heritage values to avoid infringement and protect and preserve heritage values. Last but not least, they need to harmoniously and synchronously develop tourism and widely introduce to tourists, especially international visitors.
Could you please talk about overnight accommodation service? What is the Management Board’s plan to keep visitors?
In the overall Ninh Binh area development plan, approved by the Prime Minister, and urban development zones, many hotels and recreational zones will be built from the Van River to Trang An Cultural Park and Safari Wildlife Animal Reserve near Cuc Phuong Forest. In the future, Ninh Binh will attract investors to invest in nightlife tourism products typical of Ninh Binh province like homestay, bicycling, buffalo and cow carting, and rowing.
In addition, the province will study and develop buffer zones to the heritage site, sell souvenirs, show handicraft making processes and organise souvenir design contests.
Right from the start, Ninh Binh province’s tourism sector defined that the community is the centre of heritage development. The community helps introduce, promote and preserve the heritage and transmit heritage values to tourists. We have trained and guided local people to understand heritages, behavioural cultures, communications and foreign languages to better preserve the heritages.
According to statistics, in 2013, Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex welcomed 3,647,003 tourists, including 434,331 international visitors), representing an increase of more than 420,000 visitors over 2012. With the recognition of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex as a World Heritage Site, tourist arrivals will surely increase, especially international visitors. This is a good opportunity for Ninh Binh to become a world-class tourist attraction.
Recently, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) and the Departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa provinces also discussed heritage connectivity. What is hindering heritage connectivity?
Based on practical experiences and recent workshops on heritage connectivity, this is one of great topics but we need a clear-cut programme, geographical proximity, traffic systems and other factors form an effective connectivity. No matter how attractive resources are, we will impossibly attract tourists if we have no roads connecting to hotels and resorts. Therefore, in my opinion, we need a good transport system to connect heritage sites and facilitate tourist travelling to heritage sites.
Vietnamese
