The New7Wonders will choose the 21 natural wonders for the next phase of the vote for new seven world natural wonders on July 21. Vietnamese agencies are taking action to get Ha Long Bay on the list.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Tran Nhat Hoang, who oversees the ministry’s campaign of calling for votes for Ha Long Bay, said that the bay has been in the lead in the group of sea-related landscapes in the New7Wonders poll, followed by Cox’s Bazaar beach of Bangladesh.

“The campaign aims to improve Vietnamese people’s awareness of and love for the world-famous wonder. Ha Long Bay is considered a key to Vietnam’s tourism while many Vietnamese people don’t know much about it,” Hoang said.

Quang Ninh Province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism director Le Toan said the Ha Long Festival in May helped Ha Long Bay jump from third to first position in the poll.

Toan said Quang Ninh province, which is home to the bay, will cooperate with agencies to call for youngsters to vote for the bay.

On the occasion of Vietnam Family Day, June 28, Quang Ninh will organise a day to clean up Ha Long Bay. In addition, households who live along the coast will clean up the section of coast running in front of their houses every Saturday and Sunday.

From June to December this year, Quang Ninh will hold a cultural-tourism action programme in Bai Chay city and Tuan Chau tourism zone and on this occasion, the province will call for votes for Ha Long Bay.

He said Ha Long Bay has the highest number of votes but the number of entries written by visitors about Ha Long is quite modest. “We worry about this matter but it is very difficult to urge people to write about Ha Long Bay,” Hoang added.

VietNamNet/TP