What is special about the three special economic zones in An Giang?

(NLĐO) - After the reorganization and merger of provinces, the Mekong Delta has 3 special economic zones, all located in An Giang province.

The Kien Hai Special Zone was established based on the entire natural area and population of the former Kien Hai island district, Kien Giang province. Kien Hai comprises 23 islands located in the southwestern sea area, with a natural area of ​​27.85 km2 and a population of 20,550 people.

A view of Hon Tre Island in the Kien Hai Special Economic Zone.

The administrative center of the Kien Hai Special Zone is located on Hon Tre Island, approximately 28 km west of Rach Gia ward, the center of An Giang province. The furthest island is the Nam Du Archipelago, 90 km from Rach Gia city center. Next is Hon Son Island, also known as Hon Son Rai, about 30 km west of Hon Tre and about 60 km from Rach Gia.

The islands in the Kien Hai special zone are increasingly attracting tourists.

Currently, the islands of Hon Tre, Hon Son, An Son, and Nam Du have received government investment to build concrete roads around and across the islands, along with a very convenient transportation system for the local people. There are 8 high-speed ferry trips daily, connecting the Kien Hai Special Economic Zone with the mainland such as Rach Gia and Ha Tien, with travel times ranging from 45 minutes to 2 hours.

The key leaders of the Kien Hai Special Zone include: Mr. Nguyen Quoc Tuan, Secretary of the Party Committee; and Mr. Chau Hung Ky, Chairman of the People's Committee.

The national power grid has also been extended from the mainland to Hon Tre and Hon Son islands, while the Nam Du archipelago still uses generators for 24/7 electricity, basically meeting the electricity needs of the residents.

The economic potential of the Kien Hai special zone lies in its vast maritime territory, which is very favorable for developing marine economic sectors, especially the exploitation, aquaculture, and processing of seafood...

Hon Tre celebrates the announcement of the Kien Hai special economic zone.

The islands of this special zone boast many pristine beaches with turquoise waters and white sand, such as Bang Beach, Bac Beach, Thien Tue Beach, and Gieng Beach in Hon Son; Cay Men Beach, Dat Do Beach, and Ngu Beach in An Son; and Hon Mau Beach and Hon Dau Beach in Nam Du. Along with abundant marine life, a clean environment, and friendly people, all these factors combine to create great potential for Kien Hai to develop ecotourism.

The beauty of Nam Du Archipelago, part of the Kien Hai Special Economic Zone.

The beauty of Hon Son Island in Kien Hai Special Economic Zone. Photo: Thanh Doan

The Tho Chau Special Zone was established based on the entire natural area and population of Tho Chau commune, Phu Quoc city (formerly). The total area of ​​the Tho Chau Special Zone is 13.98 km2, with a population of 1,896 people.

A corner of the Tho Chau Special Economic Zone

Tho Chau Island holds a particularly important position in terms of national defense and security, situated at the forefront of the southwestern sea region of the country. It borders international shipping lanes for approximately 12 nautical miles and has a historical maritime border with the Kingdom of Cambodia within the Gulf of Thailand.

Dubbed the "rough gem" of the southwestern islands, Tho Chau Island retains its pristine natural beauty and is considered to have great potential for economic development, especially tourism.

Tho Chau is a strategically important island located far from the mainland.

Fishing and aquaculture are the main occupations of the island's inhabitants, with 46 households raising over 50 fish in rafts; nearly 70 boats with a capacity of 8-24 horsepower; and an annual output of 150 to 200 tons of various seafood. The purchasing and processing of fish and squid on a scale of nearly 1,000 tons per year provides employment for hundreds of workers.

Tho Chau Island is 101 km from Phu Quoc and 220 km from Rach Gia, but currently there is only one ferry trip per week from Phu Quoc to Tho Chau Island on Saturdays. Meanwhile, there is only one trip from Rach Gia to Tho Chau Island on the 5th of each month.

Executive Committee and Standing Committee of Tho Chau Special Zone

The people of Tho Chau who need to go to the mainland must catch the only ferry of the week to Phu Quoc Island, and from there travel to other places in the country. They also have to time their return journey to the island the following week. Therefore, it takes the people of Tho Chau at least a week to get back to the mainland.

The key leaders of the Tho Chau Special Economic Zone include: Mr. Lam Minh Hien, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee; Mr. Do Van Dung, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Council; and the Vice Chairmen of the People's Committee are Mr. Tran Quoc Giang and Ms. Tran Thi Giao Ha.

Conversely, those traveling from the mainland to Tho Chau Island must "transit" through Phu Quoc. Then, they must catch the only ferry departing around 11:00 AM each Saturday to reach Tho Chau Island.

We had to be on the ferry back to Phu Quoc by exactly 7 a.m. the next day; if we were late, we would have to stay on the island until the following week and wait for another ferry.

The Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone, unlike the other two special economic zones, was originally a Class 1 urban area before being reorganized into a special economic zone. It was established based on the entire area and population of Phu Quoc City, with a total area of ​​over 589 km2 and a population of approximately 157,000 people.

A view of Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone.

Established as a special administrative and economic zone, Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone plays a strategic role in many areas: it is a maritime economic center, a leading force in tourism development, a strong magnet for foreign investment, and an important international trade gateway for the Mekong Delta region.

Portraits of the Standing Committee of the Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone Party Committee

Mr. Le Quoc Anh presents appointment decisions to officials of the Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone People's Committee.

In particular, with its integrated infrastructure including an international airport, seaports, and inter-regional transportation network, Phu Quoc is a key connecting point between Vietnam and ASEAN and major economic centers around the world.

The Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone attracts many businesses to invest in international-scale tourism projects.

After more than two decades of development, Phu Quoc's economy has undergone a remarkable transformation. The growth rate of production value during the period 2011-2024 has been maintained at over 38% per year, six times higher than the national average.

The transportation infrastructure of Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone is developing comprehensively.

Phu Quoc International Airport, operational since 2012, has laid the foundation for Phu Quoc's current success.

What's impressive here is the exponential growth in tourism. In the first six months of this year alone, Phu Quoc is estimated to have welcomed nearly 4.5 million visitors (a 33.3% increase compared to the same period last year). Of these, nearly 900,000 were international visitors (a 76.7% increase compared to the same period last year), and total revenue reached approximately 21,588 billion VND (a 92.6% increase compared to the same period last year).

In recent years, Phu Quoc's transformation has become the envy of many Vietnamese tourist hotspots, attracting over 300 investment projects. Major corporations such as Sun Group, VinGroup, and BIM Group have created a world-class resort ecosystem spanning the entire island, featuring renowned international hotel management brands like Marriott International, Accor, Rosewood Hotels, Curio Collection by Hilton, and soon Rixos, The Luxury Collection, and Ritz Carlton Reserve.

Phu Quoc boasts nightly artistic fireworks displays, world-class shows, and iconic landmarks such as the world's longest three-wire cable car and the Kissing Bridge…

Furthermore, being selected to host APEC 2027 gives Phu Quoc a significant boost, offering a double opportunity for development to reach new heights. Specifically, 21 investment projects with a total budget of hundreds of thousands of billions of VND, ranging from social infrastructure and transportation infrastructure to high-end resort and tourism ecosystems, will create a strong impetus for Phu Quoc in a period of high-quality growth, deep integration, and affirm its role as a new center of Vietnam's maritime economy.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/ba-dac-khu-o-an-giang-co-gi-dac-biet-196250702183355565.htm