According to Quang Ninh Province’s Department of Tourism, last year, Thien Cung-Dau Go Cave welcomed 2.02 million visitors. Meanwhile, Sung Sot Cave and Titop Island served 1.85 million and 1.8 million respectively.
Visitors at Dau Go Cave
Other caves such as Co, Thay, Tien Ong or Me Cung were also visited by from thousands to hundreds of visitors per year.
The bay management board said that currently tours to Ha Long and Bai Tu Long bays cover around 10 sites, however, visitors often prefer caves which are near wharfs. So it is easy to see the congestion at some caves at peak season, while many others attract just a small number of visitors.
UNESCO have warned about too many tourists for some caves in Ha Long.
The bay management board has opened some new destinations, but tourists are still concentrated on popular caves.
Pham Dinh Huynh, deputy head of the board, admitted that the excess visitors would badly impact the caves and the agency was compiling a report on this.
Experts worried that eco-systems, particularly stalactite, are sensitive to excessive exposure to the public.