Vietnamese conglomerate Bitexco has asked the authorities of the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh for the rights to manage and use two local bays, one of which is a World Heritage Site, for five decades from now.

Vu Quang Hoi, chairman of Bitexco Group, which is investing in real estate, mining, manufacturing and infrastructure, submitted a proposal on the management of the two bays, Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, to the municipal leaders at a meeting on Tuesday.

During the event, Hoi said the goal of the proposal is to develop Ha Long Town and the two bays into top tourism destinations in East Asia and create an international brand for Ha Long Bay tourism.

It also aims at administering the sites in a sustainable manner and ensure their conformity with the overall tourism development strategies of the province in order to raise natural sustainability and safety for travelers to Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, he added.

Meanwhile, Bitexco has also sought for provincial approval to collect management fees at the two sites for 50 years, Hoi said.

Nguyen Van Thanh, Vice Chairman of the Quang Ninh People's Committee, said that Bitexco should send its experts to work with relevant departments and agencies in the province to elaborate on the content of the proposal.

Quang Ninh’s chairman, Nguyen Van Doc, told VnEconomy newswire that the biggest goal of the possible cooperation between the province and Bitexco should be improving managerial efficiency, thus promoting the use of the bays in a way that will benefit the province’s socio-economic and environmental scenarios.

Doc also said what the province wants is to hand over the two sites to professional managers to make the most use of them while still maintaining their sustainability.

As a result, Bitexco should continue further research on the proposal to solicit feedback from local state departments to finalize the intended project.

A Bitexco representative told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the group will establish a consulting and planning team to learn about the management and fee collection model at Angkor Wat (Siem Reap, Cambodia), Eiffel Tower (Paris, France), and Venice (Italy).

The representative added that the firm will also invite international consultants and management units with in-depth knowledge and intensive experience in heritage management to participate in its project to ensure the economic benefits and natural sustainability of the two bays.

However, many experts have suggested that the provincial authorities should be cautious when giving the nod to the proposal, as one of the two places, Ha Long Bay, is a World Heritage Site.

The local government told Tuoi Tre that it will only allow Bitexco to take over the service development work there, but not for 50 years as proposed, if there really is any approval of the group’s plan.

But many professionals and tourism businesses fear this would still create a monopoly over the use of the sites, not to mention the risk of destroying the natural features of the bays.

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