Binh Thuan (VNA) – The south central coastal province of Binh Thuanaims to develop sustainable tourism to become a national and regional tourismattraction.

Apart from deploying measures to diversify tourism services, enhance quality andpromote its images, Binh Thuan focuses on boosting cooperation and connectivityin tourism.

According to Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports andTourism Ngo Minh Chinh, the province will continue to work with otherlocalities, including Ho Chi Minh City, Lam Dong, Hanoi, Can Tho to bring more domesticand international visitors to destinations in Binh Thuan.

In addition, improving transport infrastructure is an advantage for BinhThuan’s tourism. The expanded National Road 1A section running through theprovince was completed, the construction of Phan Thiet airport and Vinh Tanport is undergone while the Dau Giay – Phan Thiet highway building project willbe launched.

According to Nguyen Duc Hoa, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’sCommittee, Binh Thuan is a key national tourism destination, with tourismservices including resorts, landscapes, sports, spiritual tours and MICEtourism.

The sector contributed about seven percent to provincial GRDP in 2016 andcreates thousands of jobs, particularly in rural and coastal areas.

Binh Thuan also has good conditions for socio-economic and cultural exchangeswith localities in the southeast, south central and Central Highlands regions.The province also sits among southern tourism hubs, namely Nha Trang in KhanhHoa province, Da Lat in Lam Dong, HCM City, Ba Ria – Vung Tau province.

It has 192 kilometres of coast with beautiful beaches, landscapes, clean environment,national historical – cultural relics and festivals.

Binh Thuan had by October had 390 tourism projects, worth 63.5 trillion VND(2.79 billion USD), covering 7,400 hectares.

It is home to more than 300 hotels, with 11,000 rooms and over 500 villas andapartments for tourists.

In 2016, the province received 4.5 million tourists, including 300,000 foreigners.

It expects to welcome around seven million tourists by 2020, contributing 10percent to provincial GRDP.-VNA