Linking sea and island tourism is a key priority in the central coastal province of Binh Dinh towards realising the goal of welcoming 8-10 million travellers in 2020, said Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Ho Quoc Dung.

In a bid to promote tourism in the locality, the province will focus on building its tourism trademark while introducing local potential far and wide. It will also open its doors for investors to develop technical infrastructure and work to tackle barriers in land clearance.

Together with support from the central Government, trillions of VND have been spent on land clearance, resettlement and infrastructure such as the Quy Nhon- Nhon Hoi Bridge, as well as other traffic systems in the coastal and mountainous areas, facilitating the implementation of tourism projects in the locality. Developing infrastructure will lure more investment and enlarge the tourism-service sector.

Investors with insufficient capital and experience will have their investment certificates revoked to make room for other potential investors. The province also recommended relevant ministries and agencies to ask for Government approval for additional golf course projects in the Nhon Hoi Economic Zone, which is slated to become a major tourism centre.

According to the Prime Minister’s Decision 142/2005 on the general planning of Nhon Hoi Economic Zone by 2020, space for coastal tourism development has been adjusted to 2,570 hectares from 1,585 hectares to include the Vinpearl Hai Giang and Nhon Hoi- Cat Tien coastal tourism sites and Thi Nai lagoon eco-tourism site.

In recent years, Binh Dinh has developed infrastructure for various kinds of tourism, from cruises, resorts to sports and exploration tours. To date, the province has drawn 11 coastal tourism-service projects with total registered capital of 17.9 trillion VND (833 million USD).

Over 1.7 million travellers visited the province in the first five months of the year. Of the figure, 85,600 were foreigners, surging 22 percent from the same period in 2014.

Binh Dinh is also working to submit a request for UNESCO-recognition of its traditional martial arts as part of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

The local Bai choi singing, unique to the coastal central region and often seen at local spring festivals, resembling a game using playing cards and village huts, has also received attention. Restoration efforts have additionally focused on traditional festivals and trade villages as well as historical and cultural relic sites.

Binh Dinh has carried out support policies for human resources training, intensified domestic and international cooperation and accelerated communications to raise local awareness of tourism.-VNA