Cua Viet beach in Quang Tri (Photo: quangtri360.com) Quang Tri (VNA) – A year after mass fishdeaths caused by the Hung Nghiep Formosa Steel Corporation,tourists have begun returning to beaches in the central province of Quang Tri.
Formosa polluted more than 200km of coastline in Aprillast year, killing more than 100 tonnes of fish and devasting the environment,robbing thousands of people of their livelihoods and severely damaging theeconomies of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue provinces.
Vietnam News Agency’s reporter quoted Nguyen Van Than,head manager of the local Cua Viet beach, as saying Cua Viet, once welcomingthousands of visitors on a daily basis, was bleak after the incident.
He noted that the situation improved when the Ministryof Natural Resources and Environment announced the completion of its marinedetoxification work, ensuring safety for beach activities in the four affectedprovinces.
The current number of tourists is about one fifth ofpast figures but is a sign local tourism is recovering, Than said.
According to statistics from the provincial Departmentof Culture, Sports and Tourism, more than 150 accommodation facilities alonglocal beaches have been upgraded to improve their services.
Authorities have been supporting the recovery of beachtourism by reducing land tax and holding promotion campaigns on cleanbeaches.-VNA
VNA
