Binh Thuan (VNA) – Over the past twoyears, the south central province of Binh Thuan has made use of its strengthsto become a bright spot on Vietnam’s tourism map.

Ngo Minh Chinh, Director of the provincialDepartment of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said in the period, Binh Thuan hasfocused on the planning of coastal areas, accelerated the implementation of tourismprojects and reclaimed unfeasible ones.

The province is running 378 valid tourismprojects with total registered capital of 59 trillion VND (2.53 billion USD),covering 6,300 hectares of land.

Apart from 490 accommodation establishments with15,000 rooms, and 860 houses and villas in service of holiday-makers, BinhThuan boasts stable railway and maritime transport systems.

According to Nguyen Van Khoa, President ofthe provincial Tourism Association, in 2018, Binh Thuan welcomed more than 5.7million tourists, up 12.8 percent year-on-year, with foreign arrivals reaching675,000, up 14.3 percent.

Foreign visitors to Binh Thuan mainly camefrom Russia, China, the Republic of Korea, the UK, France and Germany.

Last year, the province earned 12.8 trillionVND (550.4 million USD) from tourism services in the year, up 18.9 percentagainst 2017.

Nguyen Ngoc Hai, Chairman of the provincialPeople’s Committee, said Binh Thuan has become a key national tourismdestination with diverse products.

Tourism spurred local economic development,generating jobs for thousands of labourers, especially those in rural andcoastal areas, and preserving the historical and cultural values of thelocality.

To turn tourism into a spearhead economicsector, Binh Thuan has stepped up investment attraction, accelerated theimplementation of expressway projects and intensified tourism connectivity withthe Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, other south central provinces andHo Chi Minh City.

The locality aims to serve 7 milliontravellers by 2020 and earn 18.3 trillion VND (786.9 million USD) from thetourism sector, which is expected to contribute about 10 percent of theprovince’s gross regional domestic product.

Binh Thuan hasa coastline of 192km, with various beautiful landscapes such as Mui Yen, Cauisle, Ke Ga lighthouse, Ganh Son, Gieng Tien, and the Hon Cau Marine ProtectedArea where hundreds of rare species live.

In addition, Binh Thuan boasts Phu Quy islandwhich is known as “the pearl in the middle of the sea” and located about 56nautical miles off the coast. Meanwhile, Mui Ne beach, with its warm and windyclimate, has served as a venue for well-known surfers from the UK, France,Russia, Germany, and Australia.-VNA