The potential for a national tourism "monopole"
Despite differing administrative city levels, Da Nang and Hoi An share many similarities and have been closely linked in their tourism development over the years.
According to tourism businesses, because they are less than 30km apart, almost all international tourists visiting Da Nang also travel to Hoi An and vice versa. Statistics show that the total number of tourists staying in Da Nang and Hoi An in 2024 exceeded 10 million.
While Hoi An is consistently voted a top cultural destination in the world , Da Nang is also beginning to appear among the top destinations for festivals and entertainment in the region. This is a great complement to create a "symbiotic" development between the two.
Mr. Cao Tri Dung, Chairman of the Da Nang City Tourism Association, stated that if we consider Da Nang airport within a 50km radius, we are not inferior to any tourism center in Southeast Asia. He emphasized that the Da Nang-Hoi An axis in particular, and the Da Nang-Quang Nam axis in general, should be considered a new growth pole for Vietnamese tourism, thus encouraging increased investment.
In fact, according to the Vietnam Tourism Development Plan for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2045, Da Nang City is planned as a national growth pole in the Central region, while Hoi An is identified as a unique heritage city.
Da Nang and Hoi An are also identified as two of the 11 cities with outstanding potential and advantages for developing the night-time economy. These provide a solid foundation for developing and promoting tourism linkages, enabling these two cities to become a tourism hub with an international brand in Vietnam.
Connecting two industrial powerhouses
An interesting common point between the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone (Quang Nam) and the Dung Quat Economic Zone (Quang Ngai) is that they have consistently contributed approximately 60-70% of the two provinces' budgets for many years.
Given their strategic importance, both the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone and the Dung Quat Economic Zone are identified as "nucleuses" for creating breakthroughs in the economies of Quang Nam and Quang Ngai provinces.
With its strong linkages in many aspects and possession of key characteristic industries, the Chu Lai - Dung Quat Open Economic Zone cluster has been approved by the Prime Minister as one of the coastal economic zones with great potential for priority investment.
Mr. Nguyen Hong Quang, Head of the Management Board of Economic Zones and Industrial Parks of Quang Nam province, said that linking infrastructure and linking project groups between the two economic zones will create a very large economic space, helping to build suitable development models.
Several industrial clusters could form between the two economic zones in the future if efforts are intensified. One example is a cluster focusing on the mechanical engineering and supporting industries, with THACO Industries as the core, along with the participation of the Hoa Phat Dung Quat Iron and Steel Complex project.
In addition, it is possible to form clusters for the development of machinery and industrial equipment manufacturing in Dung Quat; clusters for the development of agricultural machinery and equipment manufacturing in Chu Lai; and clusters for the development of logistics centers linked to the Quang Nam - Quang Ngai seaport system…
What can I do to increase the depth of my links?
There is still ample room to deepen the tourism link between Da Nang and Hoi An, as tours between the two sides are currently limited to road travel.
Other unique routes that have long been planned but have yet to materialize include the Co Co River tour from the Marble Mountains to Cua Dai and the sea tour from Da Nang to Cu Lao Cham. In addition, some have suggested researching the recreation of a railway line between the two cities, similar to what existed in the early 20th century.
While the Co Co River tourism route is still dependent on the completion of dredging the Co Co River channel, the Da Nang to Cu Lao Cham route has been opened after the Ministry of Transport announced the transportation route from the mainland to the island of Da Nang - Cu Lao Cham in April 2024, and most recently, Phu Quoc Express Joint Stock Company has proposed operating this route.
Another noteworthy development is that the Quang Nam provincial planning has identified two future urban railway lines for coordinated investment: Chu Lai Airport - Tam Ky - Hoi An - Da Nang International Airport and Hoi An - Ngu Hanh Son (Da Nang).
Regarding the two economic zones, experts believe that to create a breakthrough in this linkage, the two provinces need to cooperate closely to propose to the central government early investment in upgrading Chu Lai airport according to the plan and completing the national coastal road connecting the two economic zones.
Simultaneously, promote the socialization of infrastructure development in the two economic zones to enhance the competitiveness of the linked region, such as: the Cua Lo waterway for 50,000-ton vessels; expanding the road connecting Dung Quat - Chu Lai airport and Ky Ha port; completing the road connecting Dung Quat Economic Zone with the Da Nang - Quang Ngai expressway; and the road connecting Ky Ha port with the Da Nang - Quang Ngai expressway...).
Associate Professor Bui Quang Binh from the University of Economics Da Nang argues that current policies for economic zones in localities, instead of focusing primarily on tax incentives and land preferential treatment, should shift their focus to creating a favorable and equitable investment environment. Furthermore, greater priority and attention should be given to innovative projects and research and development (R&D).
Furthermore, the policy mechanisms for building and developing economic zones need to be improved by upgrading the legal framework from decrees to laws to ensure sufficient strength, consistency, and to thoroughly resolve the overlaps and inconsistencies between laws and subordinate legal documents...
Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/lien-ket-khong-ranh-gioi-3148388.html
Comment (0)