The northern province of Ninh Binh has decided to close all local tourist destinations as from 6:00 am on March 13 in order to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Travellers visit the Trang An Landscape Complex, a popular
tourist destination in Ninh Binh, by boat (Photo: VNA) 

In an urgent notice sent to agencies and People’s Committees of cities and districts, the provincial People’s Committee said hotels in the locality must bar tourists coming from or transiting virus-hit areas, who have yet to undergo quarantine and medical checkups or who show symptoms such as cough and fever.

During the closure, the tourist sites and hotels need to conduct disinfection to ensure safety for holidaymakers when they are allowed to reopen.   

Ninh Binh province is home to Trang An Landscape Complex - which was recognised by UNESCO as the world’s mixed cultural and natural heritage, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia. The complex was also used as a location for the movie Kong: Skull Island, one of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters of 2017.

Other popular destinations in the province include Bai Dinh Pagoda, Cuc Phuong National Park, Tam Coc-Bich Dong cave system, and the former royal citadel at Hoa Lu.  

The province, which is hosting the 2020 National Tourism Year, strives to welcome about 7.8 million tourists in the year, including approximately one million foreigners.

In 2019, the province served 7.6 million visitors, a year-on-year rise of 3%. They included 970,000 international holidaymakers, up 10.7%, according to the provincial Department of Tourism.