Compared with other provinces and cities in the Central Coast and the Central Highlands, Quang Ngai province has abundant potential for tourism development, particularly cultural and natural tourism. From existing tourism potential synergized with the support of local agencies, domestic and foreign investors have added wings for Quang Ngai tourism to take off. Following is a short interview of Vietnam Business Forum Magazine with Mr. Nguyen Minh Tri, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Cong Luan reports.
Could you please tell us some outstanding results of Quang Ngai tourism industry in the past time?
The tourism sector of Quang Ngai province has witnessed strong progress in revenue and tourist arrivals in the past years, affirming its position in the region and the country as a whole. The sector welcomed 810,000 visitors (69,000 international visitors) in 2017 and 1 million visitors (86,000 international visitors) in 2018. Accordingly, tourism revenue climbed from VND710 billion in 2017 to VND950 billion in 2018.
Tourism technical facilities (hotels, restaurants and amusement parks) have been gradually developed and improved to meet visitors’ demands in a timely manner. By 2018, the province had 300 tourist accommodation facilities with a total of 4,020 rooms, mainly concentrated in Quang Ngai City, Duc Pho, Binh Son, Son Tinh and Ly Son districts. In Ly Son, accommodation facilities have developed rapidly, especially homestays, to serve about 2,000 visitors per day.
| Situated in the Central Coast, Quang Ngai is endowed with diverse tourism potential and carries typical imprints of cross-cultures of Sa Huynh, Champa and Dai Viet. Therefore, its cultural tourism resources are diverse and abundant, expressed in various nuances, in both tangible and intangible cultural values, that are preserved and developed throughout the history of the region. In addition, Quang Ngai's natural tourism resources are very rich with lyrical natural landscape, majestic geomorphology and geology, and diverse ecosystems for Quang Ngai to develop mountain-based ecological tourism, maritime tourism, leisure tourism and recreational complexes. |
Currently, maritime tourism is a main tourism type of the province based on potential integration of cultural and historical values and geological and geomorphological values and natural landscapes of six coastal districts and cities and Ly Son island district. In recent years, Ly Son has become a destination to attract domestic and foreign tourists, a factor that promotes Quang Ngai tourism to thrive. Currently, Quang Ngai province is urgently completing documenting proofs to submit to UNESCO for recognition of Ly Son - Sa Huynh as a global geopark in November 2019, citing outstanding geological values and relics of Sa Huynh culture first found in Quang Ngai 110 years ago.
The province is also focusing on developing community tourism, joined by a number of new models and destinations in Ly Son where tourists can experience cultures of Hre people in Ba To, mural paintings, 3D paintings and glowing paintings, dubbed to be the biggest of their kinds in Vietnam, in Ganh Yen and Tho An (Binh Son district), helping preserve and promote indigenous cultural values through tourism activities. In addition, given preferential policies and active support for investors, some local tourist destinations are being expanded and some new tourist areas have put into operation with new leisure and recreational products.
How has the tourism sector attracted investors?
Quang Ngai province has attracted a number of large tourism investors. Typically, Muong Thanh Group invested in building and operating a 4-star Muong Thanh - Ly Son Hotel, Vingroup Group invested in Vincom Shophouse project in Quang Ngai, and, most recently, FLC Group is preparing investment procedures for the tourist and urban resort complex in Dung Quat Economic Zone, expected to create a boost to local tourism development in the future.
So far, Quang Ngai province has more than 25 tourism investment projects, costing VND 2,900 billion of investment capital, including Thac Trang Ecological Tourist Area, Sa Huynh Tourist Village, Suoi Chi Ecological Tourist Area, and Nghia Thuan Hot Spring Resort. Some projects are being invested such as Sua Mountain Resort, Anh Van Ecological Resort, Dai Trung Entertainment Area, and Bai Dua Ecotourism Resort.
In 2019, the Quang Ngai tourism industry strives to attract 1.1 million visitors. Are you confident about this goal?
| Ly Son - Sa Huynh Global Geopark stretches across nine districts and cities of Quang Ngai province. |
Given the growth in 2018 (more than 1 million tourist arrivals, up 23% year on year, and tourism revenue of VND950 billion, up 33%), the tourism sector of Quang Ngai province enjoyed the highest growth in the last five years.
Thus, in 2019, Quang Ngai will focus on tapping local tourism advantages to build and develop many types of unique and attractive products to draw tourists to the province. The province will quickly complete documenting proofs for the recognition of Ly Son - Sa Huynh as a global geopark by UNESCO in November 2019. I strongly believe that Quang Ngai tourism will fulfil the target of drawing 1.1 million visitors in 2019.
Thank you very much!
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