(VOVworld)-An international seminar on Ha Long Bay will open in Ha Long City in Quang Ninh province next Tuesday. The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism held a press conference in Hanoi on Tuesday to announce the event, which aims to seek out measures to preserve and promote the values of Ha Long Bay to develop tourism in a sustainable manner.

Speaking at the function, the Administration General Director Nguyen Van Tuan said that ever since it was recognised as a world natural heritage 18 years ago, Ha Long Bay has become one of the country’s most visited tourist spots. Tuan said that the VNAT and Quang Ninh province are putting together advertising campaigns and a series of promotions to spotlight Ha Long Bay and make it one of the leading tourist destinations on earth:“The seminar will define the role that Ha Long Bay plays and the position it holds in the country’s tourist industry as well as current development trends, opportunities and challenges. Delegates will put forward proposals to ensure the site is preserved for future generations and examine existing management procedures.”

In 2011, Ha Long Bay welcomed over 5.5 million tourists, half of them from overseas