Three years after UNESCO approved the extension of the Ha Long Bay–Cat Ba Archipelago World Heritage Site, Quang Ninh is gradually completing a unified, modern and sustainable management model that combines heritage conservation with green tourism development and the effective promotion of the World Heritage Site’s values.
In July 2023, at the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee in Saudi Arabia, UNESCO adopted a decision to extend the boundaries of the Ha Long Bay World Heritage Site in Quang Ninh by incorporating the Cat Ba Archipelago in Hai Phong. The expanded site became the Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago World Natural Heritage Site, Vietnam’s first inter-provincial World Heritage Site.
Immediately after the extension, Quang Ninh proactively collaborated with Hai Phong to implement comprehensive measures to manage, conserve and promote the heritage site’s values. A key milestone was reached in March 2025, when the Quang Ninh Provincial People’s Committee and the Hai Phong Municipal People’s Committee agreed to establish the Management Board of the Ha Long Bay–Cat Ba Archipelago World Heritage Site. This is Vietnam’s first inter-provincial management model for a World Heritage Site, laying the foundation for a unified governance mechanism and improving inter-local coordination in conserving, managing and promoting the site’s values in line with UNESCO standards and towards sustainable development.
Since April 2026, the two localities have continued implementing an integrated tourism connecting Ha Long Bay and the Cat Ba Archipelago, attracting nearly 4,600 tourist arrivals and generating over VND 1 billion in entrance fees. Beyond expanding the array of visitor experiences, this connectivity helps ease visitor pressure at high-density spots, ensuring a better distribution of tourist flows and promote sustainable tourism development.
For Quang Ninh, a cornerstone of its heritage management strategy is treating conservation as the foundation for development. The province is determined to transform its development model from “brown” to “green”, gradually reduce reliance on resource extraction and move towards an economy based on tourism, high-quality services and green growth. The province pays special attention to protecting the marine water environment by undertaking various measures to control vessel discharg on the bay while researching incentive mechanisms to encourage boat owners to upgrade their wastewater collection and treatment systems to higher standards.
During a visit to Quang Ninh on the occasion of World Wonder Day on July 7, Jean-Paul de la Fuente, Director of New7Wonders, highly valued the province’s vision in balancing conservation and development. He noted that shifting from “brown” to “green”, reducing dependence on resource extraction and prioritizing high-quality tourism services is a strategic decision that not only preserves heritage values but also enhances growth quality and boosts Ha Long Bay's global appeal.
Besides implementing domestic measures, Quang Ninh has proactively strengthened international integration and drawn on global experience in heritage management. From July 18 to 25, a provincial delegation attended the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. At the session, the Quang Ninh delegation delivered reports, provided explanations, and shared local expertise... The delegation also worked with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the International Council on Monuments and Sites and international experts to exchange strategies on the management and conservation of the Ha Long Bay and Yen Tu World Heritage sites. Quang Ninh’s active participation in international forums not only helps the province stay updated on advanced governance models but also demonstrates its responsibility for fully implementing UNESCO’s recommendations concerning World Heritage sites.
Three years after becoming Vietnam’s first inter-provincial World Heritage Site, Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago is gradually being brought under a unified, modern, and sustainable management framework. With Quang Ninh’s determination and close coordination with Hai Phong, the heritage site is not only being effectively conserved but also continues to promote its values, becoming an important driver for green and sustainable development in the region and across the country.
By Hoang Quynh
