The World Natural Heritage Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in the central province of Quang Binh has been recognised as the most attractive tangible heritage in 2015 by the Mekong Tourism Alliance in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS), said the national park’s Management Board.

Scene at the award ceremony.

According to Le Thanh Loi, Director of the Phong Nha-Ke Bang Tourism Centre, the honour is part of the second Mekong Tourism Alliance Awards (MTAA) presented to the year’s best outbound and inbound tour operators, five-star hotels, resorts, airlines and attractive heritages.

Organised for the first time in 2014, the MTAA are designed to honour prominent achievements and dedications of travel agencies in the GMS. They recognise quality and excellence in tourism and hospitality in GMS nations - Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

Established in 2001, the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is considered among the 238 most important ecological zones in the world. It is now one of the most attractive destinations in Southeast Asia.

The Vietnam Records Organisation listed four tourism sites in Quang Binh among the top 50 must-see travel destinations in Vietnam, including the Phong Nha Cave, Ngang Pass, Nhat Le Beach and Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.

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

The New York Times named Quang Binh one of the most attractive destinations in Asia and ranked it eighth out of the world’s 52 must-see sites for 2014 while US magazine Business Insider included Son Doong Cave in its list of the 12 most impressive caves.

Along with management and conservation efforts, local authorities plan to sustainably tap the heritage, thus promoting the province’s socio-economic development.

VNA