Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam is striving to developsea and island tourism to drive the sea-based economy forward, thus turningitself into a rich and strong marine nation.

Exploitingbig islands

Vietnam has 12 inhabited island districts, namelyHoang Sa, Truong Sa, Bach Long Vy, Cat Hai, Van Don, Co To, Con Co, Ly Son, PhuQuy, Con Dao, Kien Hai and Phu Quoc.

The master plan for sea-based economic development by2020 aims to develop high-quality tourism on the three island districts of VanDon (Quang Ninh), Con Dao (Ba Ria-Vung Tau) and Phu Quoc (Kien Giang).

According to Ngo Hoai Chung, Deputy General Directorof the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), a series ofmechanisms have been approved to develop high-quality services and products inthe three island districts. For example, an international seaport, airport, andcasino will be built in Van Don. With high-end entertainment services, bestowedwith ecotourism potential and located in the network of the natural wonder HaLong Bay, bordering Mong Cai city and the fascinating complex of islands andcaves in Cat Ba island, Van Don is expected to become “another Macao” in Asia.

Con Dao is home to the Con Dao National Park coveringnearly 20,000 hectares on land and sea, and the special national relic site of ConDao Prison. The island was listed as one of the 10 most attractive destinationsin Asia by Lonely Planet and one of the Best Secret Islands on the earth by theUS Travel and Leisure Magazine. Con Dao is set to become one of the icons ofVietnam’s sea and island tourism sites.

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Meanwhile, more new mechanisms have been devised forPhu Quoc to improve its infrastructure and lure tourists, particularly foreigners.Incentives have been offered to investors in building seaports, airports, high-endresorts and other tourism services such as trade centres, finance, banking,insurance and telecommunications. Foreign visitors to Phu Quoc island areenabled to enjoy a 30-day visa exemption. The effortsaim to transform theisland district into a special economic zone, Chung said.

Many other islands have become popular destinations forholidaymakers, including Co To, Thanh Lan (Quang Ninh), Cat Ba, Cat Hai (Hai Phong),Ly Son (Quang Ngai), Phu Quy (Binh Thuan) and Con Co (Quang Tri).

Looking towardpristine islet system

Dr. Du Van Toan, Head of the Division of Marine Resources and Climate Change Research ofthe Vietnam Institute of Seas and Islands highlighted the importance of over 2,700 small islets, describing each of them asan unsinkable ship that helps safeguard the nation’s sea and island sovereigntywhile propelling sea-based economic development.

In the nation’s industrialisation and modernizationprocess, it is difficult to prevent coastal areas from the risk of pollution. Beachesacross the nation have become overcrowded, particularly during the peak season.More and more people want to enjoy high-quality tourism products. If domestictourism facilities fail to satisfy the demands of holiday-makers, they willtravel abroad. That is why pristine islands, with clean water and white-sandbeaches, particularly those around 20-50 km offshore, will become a momentumfor sea-based tourism, Toan told the Vietnam News Agency (VNA).

APEC Vietnam2017 offers golden opportunity

Vietnam has set a target of attracting 22 million foreignvisitors, serving 58 million domestic tourists, and earning 200 trillion VND (8.8billion USD) from sea and island tourism by 2020. To realise these targets, thetourism sector has moved to take every opportunity it has to developsustainably.

In an interview granted to the VNA, Dr. Le Tuan Anh,Deputy Director of the VNAT’s International Cooperation Department, said hosting APEC Year 2017 is a “golden opportunity” forVietnam’s tourism, particularly sea and island tourism. The country has introducedthe images of its people and landscapes and modern infrastructure facilities toparticipants at APEC meetings.

Not until 2017 did the nation move to take advantageof the opportunity for the tourism sector. Since Vietnam planned to host APEC Year2017, tourism has been a key factor in selecting venues for APEC meetings andactivities as well as proposing the agenda for the meetings. Within theframework of the first APEC Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM 1) in Nha Trang city,the Tourism Working Group (TWG) organised a workshop on sustainable tourism in theAPEC region in the context of climate change, Anh said.

Vietnam also put forth tourism initiatives in responseto the International Year 2017 of SustainableTourism launched by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).The APEC 2017 minister-level dialogue on sustainable tourism is scheduled totake place in Ha Long city, Quang Ninh province, in June.

Anh stressed that duringthe event, Vietnam will introduce its activities in response to the UN goals onsustainable tourism development, showing its commitment to sustainable tourismdevelopment.-VNA