Con Co Island looks to reap tourism gains

At night, it looks like a floating city on a sea filled with light. This is how Le Duc, a tourist, describes Con Co Island off the central province of Quang Tri which he recently visited.

At night, it looks like a floating city on a sea filled with light.

This is how Le Duc, a tourist, describes Con Co Island off the central province of Quang Tri which he recently visited.

"Theisland has two high places. The highest point has a lighthouse and hasbeen named Hai Phong Hill, after Hai Phong city in the north, from thetime of the war against the United States," Duc said.

"On theisland, there are places named after places in the north, like Hanoibattlefield, ‘Nam Ha', ‘Ha Tay' and ‘Quang Ninh' zones," he added.

Theisland, measuring 2,200sq.m, is located about 30km from the coast andhas great potential for tourism development. Primary forests cover about74 percent of the island, which has a variety of sandy beaches, coralreefs and igneous rocks formed from volcanic lava.

Le Quang Lanh,the island district People's Committee Chairman, said Con Co remainedclean and unspoiled by human activity and featured freshwater andstrange plants that were endemic to the island.

"The sea aroundthe island is home to numerous tropical water ecosystems, includingabout 113 coral species that were found to be in excellent condition,"Lanh added.

Along with the coral systems are rich flora and fauna and hundreds of kinds of seafood of high value.

"Withsuch a large potential and the proper investments, the island willbecome a tourist destination, a marine tourism centre that attractslocal and foreign tourists and contributes significantly to thesocio-economic development of Quang Tri province," he remarked.

Besidesdiverse ecosystems, the island is now focusing on infrastructuredevelopment that will serve its residents, including a dock, a fishingport and logistics fisheries services.

"Roads are likewise being built to serve residents and tourists and give the island a spacious appearance," said Duc.

ConCo is home to 50 residents, and visiting fishermen usually take a reston the island after a long voyage. Lanh said all offices andheadquarters on the island were either newly constructed or repaired.

"We'vereclaimed more than one hectare of land, mostly planted to vegetables,fruits, maize and cassava. We're rearing 250 cows and goats and havebuilt a new residential area for households," he added.

To date,all households, offices and units on the island have electricity andenough potable water. The youth who volunteered to build the islandnearly 10 years ago have now settled down on it to engage in cattleraising, farming and fishing.

"Con Co is where our two childrenwere born, so my husband and I have agreed to settle down here for thelong term," Nguyen Thi Lan, one of the first inhabitants of the island,revealed.

Island district authorities are now implementing aproject to turn Con Co into a tourist destination by highlighting itshistorical and traditional values, high-class resorts, coral reefs andother marine resources.

Formed from rare basalt, with uniquenatural landscapes and rare black coral reefs, Con Co is famous forbeautiful and diverse marine and forest ecosystems, especially athree-storey forest ecosystem (a rare ecosystems of volcanic islands inVietnam), and its intact and diverse coral reefs.

"Moreover, itis conveniently positioned near national and international sea transportroutes such as Hai Phong-Ho Chi Minh City-Singapore, Hai Phong-Manila,Hai Phong-Da Nang and Hai Phong-Vladivostok (Russia). It also belongs toa chain of famous historical landmarks, so developing Con Co fortourism is within our reach," said a tourist company representative.

CaoTri Dung, Director of Vitours Travel Company, said the island was anappealing tourist destination. "We're planning to bring more tourists tothis island in the future as we have successfully done in Ly Son Islandof Quang Ngai and Cham Island in Quang Nam," he added.

Duc saidhe had visited all remnants of the war against the US on the island,such as tunnel systems crisscrossing the island for more than 20km, asystem of bunkers along the coast, and cannon sites.

"From thelighthouse, we can see that the island is like a town surrounded by bluesea and primitive forest. Once, I nearly lost my way in the forest, andwas really impressed to see and touch many old trees. Three or fourpeople must join hands to embrace a tree," he added.

The Con CoMarine Conservation Area, measuring 4,532 hectares, was established inFebruary 2010. The island has beautiful and intact coral reefs with warmseas that are suitable for diving.-VNA

See more

The pristine landscape by the side of Ba Be Lake, part of the Ba Be National Park (Photo: VNA)

Bac Kan leverages eco-tourism potential of Ba Be National Park

Bestowed with year-round mild climate, pristine ecological landscape, and distinctive ethnic minority cultures, the Ba Be National Park holds huge potential for ecological tourism, wellness retreats, educational visits, cultural exploration, and adventure tourism.

Representatives from the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh at the awarding ceremony (Photo: baotravinh.vn)

Tra Vinh’s Con Chim site wins ASEAN Community-based Tourism Award

The Con Chim (bird islet) community-based tourism site in Chau Thanh district, the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh has won the ASEAN Community-based Tourism Award (CBT-ASEAN) 2023 at a ceremony held in Malaysia, according to the provincial department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

An overview of the seminar on advancing tourism development through international cooperation (Photo: VNA)

Da Nang fosters international cooperation to boost tourism

Nearly 100 domestic and foreign delegates, including leaders of the Da Nang city People's Committee and the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, along with ambassadors and representatives from diplomatic agencies in Vietnam and those from travel firms, gathered in the central coastal city of Da Nang on January 17 for a seminar on advancing tourism development through international cooperation.

Foreign tourists visit Temple of Literature in Hanoi (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam on track to become top tourist destination in the digital age

The Singaporean website opengovasia.com has published an article stating that Vietnam is creating an ideal environment for a thriving digital ecosystem and technological advancements in the tourism sector, thanks to its over 78 million internet users and 73.3% of the population active on social media.

Delegates on the Hanoi-Thai Nguyen tourism train enjoy a Then singing performance. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi - Thai Nguyen tourism train starts trial run

The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Department of Transport of the northern province of Thai Nguyen and Vietnam Railway Corporation on December 28 launched the trial run of a Hanoi-Thai Nguyen tourism train.

Image of Hoi An - an ancient city in the central province of Quang Nam is included in the video aired on CNN. (Photo: Tourism Information Technology Centre)

Video promoting Vietnam’s tourism released on CNN

A short video promoting Vetnam’s tourism has been officially released on the US Cable News Network (CNN), the Tourism Information Technology Centre under the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism announced on December 27.

Eschuri Vung Bau Golf: The ideal venue for retreats and events

Eschuri Vung Bau Golf: The ideal venue for retreats and events

Nestled amidst the pristine beauty of Phu Quoc Island, Eschuri Vung Bau Golf offers a truly unique golfing experience. Designed by the renowned IMG, the course seamlessly blends into the natural landscape, offering a captivating journey through lush forests and along stunning coastal vistas.

Unleashing tourism potential of Lang Son Geopark

Unleashing tourism potential of Lang Son Geopark

Lang Son Geopark in the northern province of Lang Son boasts a unique ecosystem, exemplified by the Huu Lien Nature Reserve, home to 794 species of vascular plants, 57 mammal species, 23 reptile and 14 amphibian species.

Ru Cha mangrove forest shines in Autumn

Ru Cha mangrove forest shines in Autumn

The Ru Cha mangrove forest in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue is most beautiful in autumn, when the entire forest turns various shades of yellow and red, creating a stunning landscape that attracts visitors.

Kem Beach - one of the most beautiful beaches in the planet. (Photo: Sun Group)

Travel Guide to Southern Phu Quoc in the Most Beautiful Season of the Year

More than just a destination with abundant and stunning nature, Southern Phu Quoc Island is becoming more and more popular as a "multi-experience paradise" with luxurious resorts, artistic architecture structures, and many other interesting, innovative and one-of-a-kind experiences in the world.

The Queen Cable Car is a great way to get panoramic views of Ha Long Bay and Ha Long city from above. (Photo: Sun Group)

Experiences recommended by Lonely Planet for first-time visit to Ha Long

In addition to cruising - a typical experience for visitors to Ha Long Bay, getting the bird’s eye view of the world's natural heritage site on a cable car ride and enjoying hot spring bathing and diverse cuisine are among experiences that leading travel guide Lonely Planet recommends for travellers.