Published:  22:36 Thursday - February 23, 2012

Ha Long Bay has seen a boom in tourism over the last two months, as a result, authorities in Quang Ninh Province are paying special heed to ensure safety and security for visitors and implementing measures to protect the environment.<br>

Ha Long Bay has seen a boom in tourism over the last two months, as a result, authorities in Quang Ninh Province are paying special heed to ensure safety and security for visitors and implementing measures to protect the environment.

Ever since Ha Long Bay was listed among the New Seven Wonders of the World, the numbers of visitors have kept increasing.

According to Ha Quang Long, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, province authorities have implemented several measures to improve quality of tourist vessels operating on the Bay.  Fire prevention and other safety measures are being strengthened on all vessels.

The province is planning to install electronic devices to keep round-the-clock track of 100 per cent of all tourist vessels on the Bay, even those that may be undergoing maintenance or repairs. 

Besides this, the province is planning to spend 4-5 per cent of its total budget this year on environment protection projects to preserve the Bay from being polluted from heavy tourist traffic. A total fund of VND500 billion (US$24 million) will be put aside to protect the pristine and sublime atmosphere of the Bay. Quang Ninh Province is also working on a programme to relocate people living in fishing villages along the Bay to mainland areas, so that they can avail of better health and education facilities.

Hopefully, these efforts will help to attract more halong cruises and develop Vietnam's tourism!