Potential for urban tourism development in the southern part of the province.

Báo Bình Thuận•11/05/2023

The strip of land along the coast connecting Thuan Quy through Tan Thanh is entirely planned for tourism development, and adjacent to it is an area designated for mixed-use residential land. In total, the proportion of land used for tourism and residential purposes reaches 70% of the total land area of the commune…

The effectiveness of "proximity is key"

It can be said that the opening of the Phan Thiet – Dau Giay expressway during the April 30th and May 1st holidays, lasting for five days, is a clear example of the effectiveness of the "distance advantage" strategy. Thanks to the reduction of approximately two hours in travel time, Binh Thuan tourism has doubled its visitor numbers, resulting in significantly higher revenue compared to the same period last year. The reason cited is that tourists wanted to experience the new expressway, but it also revealed that many tourists from other areas had long wanted to visit Binh Thuan but were hesitant due to the long-standing road conditions. Now, the expressway connects to Phan Thiet City at kilometer 14 in Ham Kiem commune, Ham Thuan Nam district. At the same point, the Ham Kiem – Tien Thanh road is under construction and will open soon, primarily to create a distance advantage for the southern tourism region of the province. In reality, the current route for tourists traveling on Provincial Road 719 at the turnoff in Tien Loi commune (Phan Thiet City) is not very convenient or smooth, especially when vehicles are coming from the highway or from the north of Phan Thiet City, unless they take a shortcut. During the recent holiday, tourists from various places used this route, and the southern coastal tourism area of the province received a significantly larger number of visitors than the rest of the province.

According to a report by the People's Committee of Phan Thiet City, during the 5-day holiday, Phan Thiet City, the central tourist area of the province, welcomed approximately 128,000 visitors, double the number compared to the same period last year; of which, the number of international tourists was about 11,744, a sevenfold increase. Specifically, the Ham Tien - Mui Ne area, considered a long-standing tourist attraction, received 32,090 visitors; while the Doi Duong - Tien Thanh tourist area welcomed approximately 59,577 visitors. Compared to the same period in 2022 with 30,752 visitors, this year's number of visitors increased by 93.73%. Not only at Doi Duong Park - Thuong Chanh, with a total of approximately 40,000 visitors coming to swim, sightsee, and go on picnics, a 100% increase compared to the same period, but also at Tien Thanh Tourist Area, with 8 operating tourist facilities welcoming about 19,577 visitors, including foreign tourists, who stayed, visited, and went on picnics, an increase of 82.07%. In particular, NovaWorld Phan Thiet, an economic and tourism urban area stretching along 7km of Tien Thanh coastal road in Phan Thiet with a scale of 1,000 hectares, has built a comprehensive "all in one" ecosystem with hundreds of world-class tourism, resort, sports, and entertainment amenities. This period attracted 16,000 visitors who stayed, visited, and took photos, an increase of 88.23% compared to the same period in 2022 (8,500 visitors).

Along this same coastal route, Ham Thuan Nam district welcomed 14,100 tourists, including visitors and overnight guests; while La Gi town received 30,000 overnight and sightseeing visitors. All areas saw an increase in visitor numbers compared to the same period last year, depending on the number of accommodation facilities available.

Region of tourist cities

Since the recent holiday, there have been signs of a resurgence in tourism, thanks to the proximity of the Phan Thiet – Dau Giay expressway and the upcoming Phan Thiet – Vinh Hao expressway. The completion of these expressways will not only create seamless transportation and trade connections but also open up opportunities for breakthroughs in tourism, socio-economic development, and real estate in Binh Thuan province and the surrounding area. Regarding the development of tourism cities, the southern coastal region of the province is considered to have significant potential for growth. For example, at the NovaWorld Phan Thiet economic and tourism urban area, the investor has already handed over thousands of products to customers in the Florida subdivision on schedule and put into operation phase 1 of amenities such as the 5-star Movenpick Resort Phan Thiet, the 4-star Radisson Resort Phan Thiet, and the 36-hole PGA golf course. Circus Land amusement park, Bikini Beach Square and Park, Sport Complex, a chain of restaurants and cafes... With infrastructure capable of attracting hundreds of thousands of domestic and international tourists for recreation and relaxation, since the beginning of 2023, upon hearing the news that the expressway would be completed just in time for the April 30th holiday, a series of investors quickly received handover of their houses, rushed to complete interior construction, and planned their businesses to settle down, relax, and start businesses in anticipation of the tourism wave. The results unfolded exactly as expected. Therefore, currently, the investment wave is spreading, becoming a driving force to retain existing investors as well as attract potential investors to established tourist cities like NovaWorld Phan Thiet to seek investment opportunities, exploit business, and expand the market in the near future.

This also presents an opportunity for the neighboring areas of Thuan Quy and Tan Thanh in Ham Thuan Nam district, where, since 2019 and 2020, the Provincial People's Committee has approved adjustments to the general planning for the coastal area of the two communes. Specifically, the strip of land along the coast connecting Thuan Quy through Tan Thanh is planned entirely for tourism development, with adjacent areas designated for mixed-use residential land. With a total land use ratio for tourism and residential purposes reaching 70% of the commune's total land, this area is developing and will continue to develop into a large coastal tourism city with a series of high-end tourism, entertainment, and resort complexes. However, due to the impact of the pandemic, this has not yet been implemented in practice, although there are already two large projects: the High-End Residential and Marine Sports Complex project with a total investment of 4,980 billion VND and the Thanh Long Bay project with an investment of 210 billion VND.

Therefore, the plan also sets projected population growth targets for 2030 and 2040 to ensure that this coastal strip has mixed-use spaces for residential, tourism, and commercial services, with models suitable to both natural conditions and development needs. For example, in Thuan Quy, a commune adjacent to NovaWorld Phan Thiet, the population should reach approximately 35,800 by 2030 and around 59,000 by 2040, with the aim of socio-economic development; rationally exploiting and effectively utilizing the potential to serve tourism needs while managing and protecting the marine ecological landscape; and contributing to the completion of the province's tourism system.

This shows that this coastal region has ample potential for the development of tourist cities. Once tourism develops, it will lead to the emergence of numerous supporting businesses, creating thousands of jobs for workers, contributing to stable livelihoods, increased income, and improved quality of life for local people. Therefore, it is easier to understand why Binh Thuan has chosen tourism as its key economic sector and aims to welcome 6.7 million tourists in 2023.

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