The launch of passenger transport between Ha Long and Nanning is intended to boost tourism development and diversify its products in the northern Vietnamese coastal province and its renowned destination - the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay.
The two passenger buses arrived at the customs gate of Bac Luan II Bridge, which is part of the Mong Cai (Quang Ninh, Vietnam) - Dongxing (Guangxi, China) international border gate pair, at 10.45 am on June 5 after a six-hour journey. After some customs procedures, the Chinese tourists began their three-day-two-night holiday in Ha Long. Besides spending one night at a local hotel and one on a cruise ship, the tourists will also visit some famous beauty spots in the area.
According to the bus operator, such tours will be organised between the two cities from June 15, departing Nanning every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday and departing Ha Long every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
The bus operator is also launching two more buses connecting Beihai City and Ha Long City later this year.
Prior to this, the Quang Ninh Department of Transport issued a notification letter listing businesses and non-periodic passenger transport vehicles from China operating on the route between the border areas of Vietnam and China, specifically the route between Nanning and Ha Long.
This year, Quang Ninh expects to welcome 17 million visitors, including 3 million foreigners. To this end, it is rolling out such solutions as attracting tourists from Northeast Asia, China, Europe and the US, and developing new markets such as India, the Middle East, Russia and Australia through promotion activities.