Binh Thuan affirms sea tourism advantages

 

Binh Thuan (VNA) – The south central coastal province of Binh Thuan has focused all resources on bringing into full play its coastal tourism potential and advantages.

The province has a coastline of 192km, with various beautiful landscapes such as Mui Yen, Cau isle, Ke Ga lighthouse, Ganh Son, Gieng Tien, and Hon Cau Marine Protected Area where hundreds of kinds of rare creatures live.

In addition, Binh Thuan boasts Phu Quy island which is known as “a pearl in the middle of the sea” and located about 56 nautical miles off the coast of the province. The island has become an attractive destination to investors.

Meanwhile, Mui Ne beach, with its warm and windy climate, has served as a venue for well-known surfers from the UK, France, Russia, Germany and Australia.

Thanks to efforts to improve the management work and diversify tourism products, the number of tourists to the locality has risen year after year.

Sea sports like windsurfing and kite-surfing and adventure tours have helped lengthen tourists’ stay.

Last year, Binh Thuan served over 5.1 million tourists, earning 10.8 trillion VND (460.7 million USD).

In the first nine months of this year, the province welcomed more than 4 million visitors, up 11 percent from the same period last year.

The number included approximately half a million foreigners, mostly Russian and Chinese, up 13 percent year on year, according to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The province earned about 9.5 trillion VND (405.1 million USD) in revenue from tourism, up 20 percent.

Ngo Minh Chinh, Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that as of September, the locality had 390 valid investment projects, including 23 FDI ones, with a total capital of 59 trillion VND (2.5 billion USD).

The province has 468 accommodation facilities, offering more than 14,600 guest rooms, together with more than 300 apartments and villas.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Hoa said that tourism has contributed importantly to the province’s economic development. Last year, the sector contributed over 7 percent of the locality’s Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) and created jobs for thousands of locals, particularly those in rural and coastal areas.

The People’s Committee recently approved a plan on measures stepping up tourism development by 2020, in which Binh Thuan strives to attract 7 million tourists, with the number of foreign arrivals growing by 12-14 percent a year, and the number of domestic visitors by 10-12 percent a year.

Tourism is set to contribute 10 percent of the local GRDP, and Mui Ne beach is expected to become a national tourism site, Hoa stated.

In recent years, Binh Thuan has made efforts to make tourism a key local industry. The province has added more tourism services in terms of transportation, shopping and underwater sports to serve the increasing demand of holidaymakers.

It has also ramped up activities to promote local tourist attractions and expand cooperation with other popular destinations in the south central coast and Mekong Delta.

Inspections have been intensified on tour operators and lodging providers to ensure they comply with related regulations while more lifeguards and fire fighters have been employed to ensure safety.

This year, the province aims to receive about 5.75 million visitors, including 670,000 foreign travellers, and generate 12.85 trillion VND (547.1 million USD) in tourism revenue. –VNA