By promoting available potential and advantages, in recent years, the tourism industry of Khanh Hoa province has made significant progress in quantity and quality to play a greater part in the local socio-economic development. Ms Phan Thanh Truc, Deputy Director of the Khanh Hoa Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: “The operating efficiency of the tourism industry not only enables the province to successfully implement its economic programmes and national tourism action plans, but also increases tourism contributions to the local GDP and leaves a strong impact on the development of other economic sectors.” Minh Tuan reports.
Could you please briefly introduce the potential, advantages and most impressive development results of Khanh Hoa province’s tourism sector?
Khanh Hoa has a long coastline with many glamorous landscapes and beautiful beaches like Dai Lanh, Nha Trang, Bai Dai Cam Ranh, Bai Tru - Dam Gia, Doc Let and plenty of gorgeous island beaches. In March 2003, Nha Trang Bay was officially admitted to the club of most beautiful bays in the world.
Khanh Hoa is famous for not only many well-known scenic landscapes but also a time-honoured cultural tradition; rarely seen human-created architectural masterpieces like the legendary Ponagar Tower aged some 1,000 years, Dien Khanh Citadel, pagodas and temples; scientific research academies like the Aquarium and Nha Trang Pasteur Institute, which is attached to the life and career of scientist Alexandre Yersin.
In an effort to exploit all existing potential and advantages, the tourism industry of Khanh Hoa province has achieved satisfactory results in recent years. Most tourism indicators increased 10 - 20 percent year after year. In 2012, most tourism indicators went up over 2011, with some climbing 15 - 20 percent. Specifically, total revenue reached VND2,570 billion, up 14.12 percent against 2011, tourist arrivals totalled 2.3 million, up 5.5 per cent on year, including 528,000 international arrivals, up 19.89 percent.
Tourism business activities of Khanh Hoa province have changed noticeably in size and quality in recent years. Especially, many tourism products have gained popularity nationwide like hot mud bathing and health-boosting bird nests, and the world’s longest sea-crossing cable car system to Vinpearl Land. Nha Trang tourism brand name has become a trusted choice for many national and international events.
In recent years, the provincial tourism industry has focused on "green tourism" development for the sake of sustainable development. Could you talk about the importance and advantage of green tourism?
"Green tourism" is a form of tourism based on nature, culture, and environmental education and contributes to conservation and sustainable development of tourism. Green tourism development will bring in huge economic resources, create more employment opportunities, raise incomes for citizens in the country as well as the local community, and enhance awareness and health in the community. Therefore, when building the provincial tourism development master plan to 2010, with a vision to 2020, the province identified "developing a combination of ecological and cultural tourism where maritime tourism development is focused to tap local potentials and resources; developing sustainable tourism on the basis of preserving and promoting cultural identity, environmental protection, national security and defence, social order and safety.”
Without doubt, Khanh Hoa has a plenty of advantages for green tourism development and Nha Trang can be invested to develop into a green tourism city. Major tourism products have been based on green tourism orientation like leisure tourism, maritime eco-tourism, mountainous eco-tourism, countryside tourism, and cultural tourism. Besides, Khanh Hoa people are sociable, friendly and hospitable. Hence, the province is a favourite destination for domestic and international tourists. For that reason, green tourism development is really essential and is also the long-term direction of the tourism industry in Khanh Hoa in the context of climate change and environmental deterioration.
It is said that to raise the tourism contribution in the province’s GDP, Khanh Hoa needs to develop high-class tourism products. What do you think about this?
Previously, high-grade tourism products served just a handful of tourists, but it has become more popular in recent years. High-class hotels and resorts are increasingly attractive to domestic and foreign tourists. This is evidenced by 60 - 70 per cent room occupancy of 3-5 star hotels in the province in recent years, even 90 per cent during public holidays. Hon Tre Island development project and Nha Trang resort and entertainment complex are effectively attracting and serving travellers. Especially in 2012, two luxury mud bathing facilities, I'Resort and Tram Trung Resort, started serving customers, and more and more customers are using their services.
Khanh Hoa province will focus on developing products and services, both accommodation and leisure services, for tourists with big budgets and long stays. Many high-grade tourism projects have been licensed and are preparing to open services like The Costa Nha Trang - a complex of hotels and apartments at 32-34 Tran Phu Street, Ngoc Suong Resort, Hon Ngang - Bai Cat Tham Marine Resort.
Domestic and global economies are forecast to recover and develop strongly at the back of the crisis from now till 2020. Tourism demand will surge as a result. How will Khanh Hoa province grasp this opportunity?
According to the development orientation towards 2020, tourism will become an economic spearhead of the province. Khanh Hoa province will become a tourist centre of the nation and Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa tourism brand will have nationwide influence and gain regional creditability. The province will strive to serve 3.1 million visitors and earn revenue of VND4,300 billion by 2015. To make infrastructure ready for a rising influx of tourists as the world economy recovers and develops after the crisis, the Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee assigned competent departments and localities to focus on infrastructure investment and tourism investment. The province will call investment capital for the upgrade of Cam Ranh International Airport, for world-class tourism services, for public transport infrastructure, communication, energy and environment.
The province will also join hands with other localities in central coastal provinces, the Central Highlands provinces, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, with special priority given to regional linkage. Besides, it will boost tourism product development, popularise the Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa tourism brand name in Vietnam and other countries in a bid to gain competitive edge, and promote tourist attraction activities in key high-spending markets like the US, Australia, France, the UK, Russia, Germany, Canada, Japan and South Korea.
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