Located next to Ha Long Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay is receiving attention and investment with many new tourism products and itineraries in a unique, outstanding and different direction.

Located in the Northeast of Quang Ninh province, Bai Tu Long Bay has hundreds of large and small islands. Different from the hustle and bustle of Ha Long, this bay has a pristine beauty, less affected by urbanization. This is a "rough gem" with more than 600 majestic islands, mysterious caves, a diverse marine ecosystem including mangrove forests, corals and traditional fishing villages, along with pristine beaches.

Notably, Bai Tu Long National Park - the 38th ASEAN Heritage Park, with more than 2,200 species of organisms, including many rare species, along with a unique ecosystem of coral reefs, mangrove forests and pine forests. In addition, the bay also preserves important historical and cultural heritages, becoming a potential "resort paradise".

This is the golden material that helps Bai Tu Long develop unique, outstanding and different tourism; emphasized in the Project, Master Plan for tourism development to 2030 and realized through meetings and conferences to discuss the direction of tourism development in Bai Tu Long Bay.

According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism at the Bai Tu Long Bay Tourism Development Conference held in March 2025 in Van Don District (now Van Don Special Zone), Bai Tu Long currently possesses many favorable conditions for breakthroughs. Synchronous transport infrastructure includes roads, sea routes, and airways; the accommodation system is increasingly diverse with large resorts such as Wyndham Sonasea Van Don, Angsana Quan Lan and the upcoming Ao Tien area with more than 1,000 rooms. The island landscape is suitable for year-round development for many sightseeing products, swimming, boating, paragliding, recreational fishing or ecological experiences.

In fact, Bai Tu Long tourism has had many positive movements in recent times, and specific products have been formed. Since 2024, Quang Ninh has announced 10 tours on Bai Tu Long Bay and 3 routes connecting Ha Long Bay - Bai Tu Long Bay. Recently, many businesses have participated in developing products and services, such as: Viet Thuan Company deploys tours connecting Ha Long Bay - Bai Tu Long Bay; Hang Ngoc Rong Company Limited and Vung Duc Tourism Company organize art performances combined with cuisine at Vung Duc Cave and a boat tour of the bay departing from Bai Tu Long coastal port; Vietnam Sightseeing Joint Stock Company develops double-decker bus and coffee bus services.

In Van Don, Everland Group has invested in cruise ships to take visitors on tours of the bay; Bai Tu Long National Park Management Board has built tourism products associated with conservation and experiencing nature. These activities show substantial steps in exploiting potential, forming a diverse product chain, connecting the community and positioning a unique tourism brand.

Besides these encouraging developments, it can be seen that Bai Tu Long Bay has not been exploited to its full potential. To promote development, tourism businesses propose that development must go hand in hand with conservation; building products that are closely related to people's lives, so that the community becomes a link in the development of experiential tourism.

Also at the Bai Tu Long Bay Tourism Development Conference, the Provincial Business Association said that Bai Tu Long - Van Don should be positioned as a destination for tourists who love exploring nature, experiencing ecology and adventure sports, instead of just sightseeing on a boat like Ha Long Bay.

This area has the potential to become a unique destination with outstanding products such as island discovery tours, overnight cruise tours combined with outdoor activities, marine ecological experiences and cultural tourism. Investing in this direction will create a strong impression, attract new customer groups, including international visitors and enhance tourism in Bai Tu Long Bay.

To fully exploit the potential, Provincial People's Committee said that it is necessary to develop synchronous tourism infrastructure connecting Ha Long Bay with Bai Tu Long and the island routes, diversifying products onshore and on the islands; studying the arrangement of separate areas, ensuring landscape and security, serving high-end tourists with high spending capacity. At the same time, investors are requested to study high-quality resort complexes with international brands, while protecting the ecological environment in Van Don and the islands in the bay.

Bai Tu Long is not only a "buffer zone" of Ha Long Bay but also a convergence of unique landscape, ecological and cultural values. Although tourism here is currently limited in that the products are not diverse, easily "overwhelmed" by Ha Long Bay, infrastructure and connections are fragmented, and management is overlapping, but with a strategy to develop outstanding and different products, this place can become a leading, promising destination.

Indochina Junk - The best time to visit Bai Tu Long Bay is from October to April, during the dry season. The weather is cool, dry, and stable, making it ideal for outdoor activities like cruising, kayaking, and swimming.