Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park (Quang Binh)

Khanh Hoa province, home to the popular beach resort city of Nha Trang, welcomed more than 1.65 million visitors in the reviewed period, an increase of 22 percent year on year.

Of the figure, foreign arrivals numbered over 411,000, up nearly 33 percent, with those coming from Russia, the Republic of Korea, Australia and the US accounting for a majority. Russia continues to be

a major market, with 91,000 visitors, representing a 50 percent from the same period last year.

The province has set its eye on attracting more Russian tourists while tapping into the potential North East Asia market including Japan and the RoK. At the same time, a promotional campaign to lure domestic vacationers has been launched, with the aim of receiving 3.4 million visitors this year, including 840,000 foreign holiday makers.

Meanwhile, Quang Binh province reported a 144 percent rise to 1.8 million visitors in the past six months. The surge was partly attributable to the crowd of pilgrims who travelled to the locality to pay respect to General Vo Nguyen Giap at his resting place in Vung Chua-Dao Yen area. An estimated 750,000 people visited the tomb in the period.

Besides, improved service quality and new tours to unique caves in the province also helped attract more tourists.

The province is well-known for various natural attractions, especially the ‘Kingdom of Caves’, a complex of over 300 caves, found in the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, which was recognised as a World Natural Heritage Site by the UNESCO.

With the opening of Son Doong Cave in 2013, Quang Binh was instantly catapulted onto the bucket lists of travellers around the world.

Recently, the New York Times named Quang Binh as one of the most attractive destinations in Asia and eighth out of the world’s 52 top tourist destinations for 2014.