Central Quang Nam province has licensed four tourism projects with a total registered capital of 2.27 trillion VND (108 million USD) over the past five months, an official from the provincial planning and investment department, Doan Ngoc Minh, confirmed on June 7.

He said the department has granted licences for 36 projects in the fields of garments, forestry processing, rubber plantation and ore exploitation with a total fund of 3.8 trillionVND (181 million USD).

"Tourism investment projects have shown the most rapid progress, accounting for 60 percent of the province's total investment projects over the past five months this year," Minh said.

"Phu Ninh eco-tourism, Agribank Hoi An and Trung Phu Hai resorts have been the biggest tourism investment this year," he said.

Minh also said the province has attracted 93 FDI projects with a capital of 5.2 billion USD, of which the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone alone licensed 20 projects with a registered investment of 4.2 billion USD.

Last year, the province hosted 2.8 million tourists, of which 1.3 million were foreigners, drawing revenue of 1.4 trillion VND (67 million USD).

The province, home to world heritage sites - Hoi An ancient town and My Son sanctuary – and the Cham Island biosphere reserve, already attracted 110 tourism projects between 1997-12.

Investors have built 80 international standard hotels and resorts with a total 5,000 rooms while the provincial tourism industry had created 15,000 jobs.

Vice chairman of the provincial people's committee Tran Minh Ca said the province is set to be the centre of the tourism industry among the central provinces by 2020.-VNA