Pillar 1: A national and regional tourism centre

Located in the southeast of the northern delta, 93km south of Hanoi, Ninh Binh is the birthplace of Dai Co Viet – the first centralised feudal state in Vietnam’s history.

The province is home to over 1,800 historical and cultural relics, including three special national relic sites and over 280 national relic sites. Ninh Binh is the also homeland of Xam singing, Cheo singing, and more than 260 festivals with unique cuisine and culture.

Nature has bestowed Ninh Binh with many beautiful natural landscapes such as the Tam Coc-Bich Dong complex, Cuc Phuong National Park, Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve, Kenh Ga Hot Mineral Spring, Kim Son-Con Noi Beach, Yen Thang Lake, and much more.

Over past decades, Ninh Binh Party Committee has issued diverse resolutions to make tourism a spearhead sector, striving to turn the province into a tourism hub of the country.

The province’s efforts have been acknowledged by UNESCO director general Audrey Azoulay, citing that through applying suitable policies plus working on diverse projects on sustainable tourism development, Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex has always been a favourite site, particularly to foreign visitors.

“The heritage site has therefore increasingly confirmed its position in Vietnam and on the world tourism map,” she said.

Azoulay delivered the remarks last September to mark 50 years since the 1972 World Heritage Convention in Ninh Binh, also marking its 35-year implementation in Vietnam.

Ninh Binh has made its name onto the list of 15 top must-visit destinations worldwide, as well as caving a spot in the top 10 Vietnamese localities hailing the largest number of visitors.

In 2022, the province welcomed more than 3.7 million visitors, up 3.6-fold on-year, in which foreigners inched up 3.5-fold in number, generating $150 million in revenue, up 3.7-fold compared to 2021. In the first quarter of this year, visitors to the province’s tourism attractions surpassed 3.2 million, up 4.9-fold on-year and raking in revenue 5.5 times more than a similar period in 2022. Notably, on the recent holidays of April 30 and May 1, Ninh Binh hailed nearly 350,000 visitors.

The province’s accommodation system has grown strongly, with over 800 tourist residences at present. Eminent examples are Legend Hotel, Hidden Charm Resort, Cuc Phuong Resort and Spa, Hoang Son Hotel, Thung Nham Resort, and Tam Coc Garden, to name but a few.

The elevation of Ninh Binh across three pillars

Pillar 2: Green, clean, high-tech industries

Ninh Binh’s industrial sector has maintained a robust growth pace, especially during 2016-2020 when it contributed greatly to local economic development, with a growth rate reaching 22.6 per cent annually.

The key segments are car assembling and manufacturing, electronics, garments, footwear, processing, and building materials. Typical examples are Hyundai and Thanh Cong Group with eight effectively running projects.

To date, Ninh Binh has enticed 93 foreign-invested projects, with a total value exceeding $1.57 billion. These include Mcnex Vina Co., Ltd. on camera module and electronic component production, windshield wiper maker ADM 21, DNC Automotives, electric cable maker Esmo Vina, footwear exporters Chung Jye Ninh Binh Co., Ltd., and ADORA Vietnam, among others.

Foreign-invested enterprises have created jobs for more than 60,000 workers, with an average monthly salary surpassing $300, contributing significantly to the local budget.

Pillar 3: Rural sustainability

Today, all communes have met new rural standards, of which 30 communes have reached improved standards, and 14 communes and 333 villages are recognised as model communes and villages.

Seven out of eight districts have also met the new rural standards, in which Kim Son district has completed the dossier requesting new rural standard recognition.

Many models of high-tech agricultural production and food safety have also been developed, coming on par with domestic and international market requirements. Thus far, 54 products have met provincial One Commune, One Product standards, of which 15 products achieved three stars, 39 products with four stars, and six products have the potential to reach five stars.

Agricultural production has made clear progress, gearing towards a commodity-based agriculture, combined with trade services and tourism. The material and spiritual life of the people has also been improved remarkably. New rural areas have created a facelift to the life of rural villagers, being one of the three pillars underpinning Ninh Binh’s vigorous development into the future.